Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) co-chairs Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva and Keith Ellison today released the following statement praising the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruling striking down California’s Proposition 8:

“Today the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the best of America. We do not legislate our prejudices and discrimination should not be legal in the greatest country on Earth.

“Even if narrow special interest groups consider same sex couples second class citizens, the Constitution does not. Equal protection cannot be overturned by any vote or undermined by any amount of divisive rhetoric. This decision should serve as a warning to opponents of the freedom to marry across the country.  

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with gay and lesbian Americans in celebrating this triumph for justice and equality.”