National
First openly gay U.S. House reading clerk relishes role
Joe Novotny ‘tremendously proud’ to take prominent position
Joe Novotny, the first openly gay U.S. House reading clerk, reads bills, resolutions and messages from the president to Congress. (DC Agenda photo by Michael Key)
It’s part of making history.
That’s part of the reason Joe Novotny enjoys his role as reading clerk for the U.S. House.
Just last week, he had the distinction of reading to House members Rep. Charlie Rangel’s (D-N.Y.) message announcing his intent to resign as chair of the Ways & Means Committee. That message, issued by Novotny, went through the media to reach people across the country.
Other milestones in which Novotny may soon take part could include the passage of health care reform — or the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
“You just feel the energy when you walk out on the House floor,” Novotny told DC Agenda. “If there’s a vote, or even just a heated debate, if something’s happening — the feeling that you get from that room is probably unlike anything everywhere else that you could really describe.”
And yet, Novotny is making history simply by holding the job. The 34-year-old Chicago native is the first openly gay person to work as a reading clerk in the U.S. House. Charged with reading messages to lawmakers and having his performance broadcast across the world on C-SPAN, Novotny is one of the most visible figures in House proceedings.
“I’m tremendously proud,” he said. “I feel like it’s an opportunity to represent the community. When you think about the diversity in this House now — and the fact that we have the first woman speaker and we have the first African-American clerk of the House — this is sort of a Congress of firsts, so to be a part of that is a tremendous honor.”
As reading clerk for the House, Novotny is charged with reading messages to House members and ensuring legislative measures before the chamber are clearly articulated to lawmakers and the public. He also tracks changes to bills made on the House floor.
“As House reading clerk, you’re responsible for reading all the bills and resolutions that come up throughout the day — and so there are all these other letters that come and messages from the president, and so you are responsible essentially for reading and representing these people,” Novotny said.
Other duties for Novotny include delivering House-approved measures to the Senate and working with official reporters to transcribe remarks in case a House member wants them stricken down.
Novotny is one of two reading clerks for the House. The other reading clerk, Susan Cole, was appointed by Republican leadership. Novotny and Cole are under the jurisdiction of Lorraine Miller, the House clerk and chamber’s official record keeper.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed Novotny to his role in December, and he’s served in the position for six weeks. No newcomer to Capitol Hill, Novotny was a congressional page when he was 16. For 15 years, he was a staffer for the House Education & Labor Committee, most recently as chief clerk for the panel.
Now as someone who sits on the podium with the speaker or speaker pro-tempe as lawmakers debate bills, Novotny is one of the more visible figures in the House.
In a statement, Pelosi highlighted the importance of Novotny’s job and his qualifications for taking on the position.
“As reading clerk, Joe will be the voice of the House of Representatives and will play an integral role in the daily operations of Congress,” she said. “Joe brings his experience and professionalism from the Education & Labor Committee, and we are grateful for his service.”
Novotny said his sexual orientation hasn’t made his job any more difficult or impaired relationships with his colleagues.
“I’ve been very, very lucky that throughout my career on the Hill, I’ve always been met with people who have looked at me pretty much just at face value, and it’s never been an issue,” he said. “I’ve always been open about who I am and it’s always been met with understanding and respect.”
But one challenge Novotny has encountered in his new role is needing to recognize all 435 House members immediately.
“Basically you have to learn every single person by name and by sight,” he said. “If somebody’s coming up and you’re at the podium, you’re responsible for announcing who that member is as they’re voting at the end of the vote or announce their changes.”
Since his years at George Washington University, where he studied political communications, Novotny said he’s had an affinity for politics.
“I’ve always been fascinated by politics,” he said. “I think that people lose sight of the fact that politics is not just about policy, it’s about relationships.”
Novotny said people “use politics every day in our lives” in relationships with colleagues, loved ones and friends.
“So, I guess I’m fascinated by relationships that people have and how everybody uses politics in form or another,” he said.
It’s that fascination with politics that lead him to take a position as staffer on the House Education & Labor Committee under the supervision of Chairman George Miller. Novotny said leaving his old job to become reading clerk was “bittersweet” because Miller is “such a great boss.”
“The thing about him is that he’s a little informal, and he likes to just be called by his first name,” Novotny said. “It’s never Mr. Chairman or congressman. He likes to be called George. So when you have that kind of relationship from the get go, you can really — you establish this great relationship.”
In 2007, Novotny was working for the committee when it sent the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to the House floor. Lawmakers in that chamber later approved the bill.
“That was really a very, very proud moment for me to be a part of that, and actually, seeing that pass the House floor in the last Congress was great,” he said.
In a statement, Miller congratulated Novotny for landing his new position, recalling the former committee staffer’s years of service on the panel.
“Joe was an incredibly valuable asset to my staff for nearly 15 years,” Novotny said. “His unparalleled integrity and dedication helped our committee advance major policies that are making a difference in the lives of working families. I know Joe will bring the same level of enthusiasm, expertise and steadfast commitment of service to his new role as House reading clerk.”
U.S. Military/Pentagon
Federal appeals court rules White House illegally banned trans troops
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says Pentagon will appeal to SCOTUS
A panel of federal appeals court judges ruled that President Donald Trump’s policy banning transgender troops likely violates their constitutional rights.
The three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 that Trump’s Executive Order 14183, also known as “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” was created with the intent to exclude people from the military based on their gender identity.
The policy argues that trans people are inherently incapable of meeting the military’s “high standards of readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity,” citing a history of or signs of gender dysphoria as the cause. According to the Defense Department, this creates “medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on [an] individual.”
The policy states that, regardless of the physical or intellectual capabilities of each applicant, it views trans military applicants as a monolith, considering them less qualified than their cisgender peers.
Despite the panel’s majority opinion issued on Monday, the first day of Pride Month, the ban remains in effect. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Pentagon to enforce the policy last year and will continue to allow it to remain in place as litigation proceeds.
The panel’s new ruling will prevent the military from discharging current service members named in the lawsuit, but it does not allow new transrecruits to join.
The policy “appears to be driven by the bare desire to harm a politically unpopular group: persons who identify as transgender,” Judge Robert Wilkins, a Democratic appointee of President Barack Obama wrote for the majority.
Judge Justin Walker, the author of the dissenting opinion and a Republican Trump appointee, argued that the authority to determine military policy does not rest with the courts. Instead, he wrote, the Constitution grants that power to Congress through legislation and to the president as commander in chief of the armed forces.
“We have neither the expertise nor the authority to decide whether the military can exclude the plaintiffs from its ranks. The Constitution assigns that authority to Congress and the commander-in-chief,” Walker wrote.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that an appeal is in the works, posting, “See you at SCOTUS” on X on Monday in response to the ruling.
Jennifer Levi, senior director of transgender and queer rights at GLAD Law, which has led the litigation since last November, applauded the decision.
“Today’s decision is a powerful vindication of the plaintiffs’ extraordinary courage and unwavering commitment to their country,” Levi said.
The Washington Blade spoke with Second Lt. Nicolas (Nic) Talbott of the U.S. Army, the lead plaintiff in the case, and Levi from GLAD Law back in November.
While discussing the case and his experiences as a trans service member, Talbott said his identity is an asset rather than a hindrance, particularly when it comes to identifying problems and finding solutions, regardless of what others may think or say.
“Being transgender is not some sad thing that people go through,” Talbott told the Blade. “This is something that has taken years and years and years of dedication and discipline and research and ups and downs to get to the point where I am today … my ability to transition was essential to getting me to that point where I am today.”
He also discussed the impact of removing qualified and dedicated service members from the military, arguing that the consequences will be felt long after Trump leaves office.
“When we’re losing thousands of those qualified, experienced individuals … those are seats that are not just going to be able to be filled by anybody,” he said. “[That’s] military training that’s not going to be able to be replaced for years and years to come.”
“Every person who puts on the uniform is expected to make a tremendous amount of sacrifice,” Talbott said. “Who I am under this uniform should have no bearing on that … We shouldn’t be picking and choosing which veterans are worthy of our thanks on that day.”
Levi characterized the policy as overtly cruel and legally indefensible to the Blade.
“This policy and its rollout is even more cruel than the first in a number of ways,” Levi explained. “For one, the policy itself says that transgender people are dishonest, untrustworthy and undisciplined, which is deeply offensive and degrading and demeaning.”
She also argued that the administration’s cost justification is flawed, saying that removing and replacing trans service members is more expensive than retaining them.
“There’s no legitimate justification relating to cost … it is far more expensive to both purge the military of people who are serving and also to replace people … than to provide the minuscule amount of costs for medications other service members routinely get.”
National
Results from key Tuesday primary races
State officials in California had not called the governor’s race as of Wednesday morning but Republican Steve Hilton and Democrat Xavier Becerra appear likely to advance to the general election.
The race for governor has been scrambled several times after Kamala Harris opted not to run, Rep. Eric Swalwell dropped out after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced, and Rep. Katie Porter’s campaign fizzled. Becerra would be the state’s first Latino governor since 1875 if elected. Hilton was endorsed by President Trump.
In the Los Angeles mayor’s race, the AP declared that incumbent Mayor Karen Bass will advance to the Nov. 3 runoff while former reality TV star Spencer Pratt and LA Council member Nithya Raman were competing for second place. California is notoriously slow in counting ballots and only about half of the results were available by Wednesday morning.
In San Francisco, Democratic State Sen. Scott Wiener advanced to the general election in November, besting Supervisor Connie Chan, who was endorsed by House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi is retiring from Congress after nearly 40 years in the House.
In Iowa, Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek won the primary for an open U.S. Senate seat, defeating state Sen. Zach Wahls. Turek will face Rep. Ashley Hinson, who won the GOP primary with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, in the general election.
The Iowa seat is open because Sen. Joni Ernst (R) decided not to seek re-election. The primary was closely watched by LGBTQ advocates because Wahls rose to national prominence after a speech he made defending marriage equality went viral in 2011. Wahls was raised by a lesbian couple.
National
White House Correspondents’ Dinner rescheduled after shooting
‘We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word’
The White House Correspondents’ Association announced on Tuesday that it has rescheduled its annual dinner for July 24 after the April event was halted when gunshots rang out at the Washington Hilton.
Cole Allen, 31, is charged with the attempted assassination of President Trump, who was in the ballroom at the time of the incident. One Secret Service officer was wounded in the attack. Officers stopped Allen before he could enter the ballroom where 2,500 journalists and politicos were having dinner and waiting for Trump to speak. It was Trump’s first time attending as president.
“We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on the 250th anniversary of America and everything we stand for,” said WHCA President Weijia Jiang in a statement to members.
She did not announce further details, including venue and ticketing.
Washington Blade White House reporter Joe Reberkenny was in the audience when shots were fired and reported live on social media from the scene.
This post will be updated as more details are announced.
Federal appeals court rules White House illegally banned trans troops
Outright International honors Cyndi Lauper at annual NYC gala
Results from key Tuesday primary races
AIDS Healthcare Foundation announces 3 million people globally in its care
10 HIV/AIDS activists arrested on Capitol Hill
Time travelers from the AIDS era
Books for a pre-Pride celebration
Barney Frank’s powerful legacy for LGBTQ federal employees
Claudia López comes up short in Colombian presidential election
