Tag: ENDA

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Fox News reports inaccurate account of religious exemptions under ENDA

Equality Matters Lead Researcher Carlos Maza debunks Fox News’ inaccurate attack on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Fox News continues to push myths about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), baselessly claiming it will undermine religious freedom. In fact, ENDA contains explicit language providing for an exemption for religious organizations from the law.

Check the exemption clause from ENDA below.  Bolding is mine:

SEC. 6. EXEMPTION FOR RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.

This Act shall not apply to a corporation, association, educational institution or institution of learning, or society that is exempt from the religious discrimination provisions of title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 pursuant (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.) to section 702(a) or 703(e)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 2000e-1(a), 2000e-2(e)(2)). [S.815, Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013, accessed 10/30/13]

So, either the folks at Fox News are illiterate, lazy or liars.

Which do you think is the case?

(via Media Matters)

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Nevada: Ask Senator Dean Heller to SUPPORT the Employment Non-Discrimination Act

On Monday, the US Senate will vote on ENDA — the Employment Non-Discrimination Act — which aims to protect all Americans in the workforce, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

Even though more than 50% of people in every state support ENDA,  Nevada’s Senator Dean Heller is still undecided on this very important piece of legislation. If the voters agree, then it’s time our own Senator does as well.

It has taken 20 years just to get a vote on this bill.

Right now, every Democratic US Senator supports the bill, plus a few Republicans.  We  have 59 votes, but we need 60 — Senator Hell is that vote we need.

Please call Senator Heller at 202.224.6244. Your message to Senator Heller can be as simple as saying:

“Hello, my name is ___________ and I live in _________. I oppose discrimination in the workplace, and I strongly ask Senator Heller to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.”

If you live in a state other than Nevada, and your Republican senator isn’t onboard yet, please give them a call and send this message.

You can find your senator’s phone number by clicking here.

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sets up Monday vote on ENDA

Senate majority leader Harry Reid of Nevada

The Washington Blade has the details:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) officially set up a Monday vote for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act by filing cloture for the bill on the Senate floor Thursday evening.

Reid made the announcement on the Senate with little fanfare. He didn’t explicitly address ENDA during his remarks before he moved on to other business and adjourned the Senate until Monday at 2 pm.

Falz Shakir, a Reid spokesperson, estimated the cloture vote on ENDA would take place around 5:45 on Monday.

By filing cloture on the bill, Reid starts for the time period for when cloture vote will take place to enable the bill to move to the floor. After filing for cloture, the vote will take place after an intervening day and one hour pass. For a successful vote on cloture, 60 votes are required in the Senate.

After cloture is invoked, up to 30 hours of debate can take place before a vote happens on final passage, which requires a simple majority. But the vote for final passage could take place sooner if both parties agree to give up the time.

The bill currently is supported by all 55 members of the Democratic caucus, plus co-sponsors Republicans Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mark Kirk (R-IL). Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) voted for the bill in committee so they are considered supporters. One more vote is needed to get over the threshold.

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Senators Joe Manchin and Mark Pryor give their support to ENDA

It would appear the last two Democratic senators who had not made a commitment to ENDA have finally come on board with their support.

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), the last Democratic holdout, says he’ll vote ‘yes’ on ENDA, according to a tweet from NYT reporter Jeremy Peters.

Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR) said he’d vote for it last night.

After Manchin’s ‘yes’ vote leaves supporters just one vote shy of having the 60 votes needed to avoid a Republican-led filibuster.

Republican Sen. Rob Portman (who has a gay son) has indicated he’s leaning ‘yes’ but has not formally announced support.

Stay tuned.

Oh, and yeah, the bill has no chance in the GOP-led House. But still, it’s taken 20 years to get even a vote on the legislation in the Senate. So it’s a big deal.

(via Towleroad)

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Senate set to hear ENDA before Thanksgiving

Senate Majority Leader announced today that he will bring the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to the floor of the US Senate before Thanksgiving.

From Buzzfeed:

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would ban most employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, was passed out of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee with bipartisan support earlier this year.

“When the Senate convenes at 2 pm today, Senator Reid will announce that he will bring ENDA to the floor this work period, which ends just before Thanksgiving,” Reid adviser Faiz Shakir told BuzzFeed. “Exact floor timing remains to be determined based on how votes go this week, but it could come up as early as next week.”

In order to pass the legislation, it likely will require 60 votes to meet the threshold to overcome any filibuster attempt from opposition — a threshold advocates say they are “optimistic” they will secure by the time any vote is taken.

Due to Republican control of the House of Representatives, there is virtually no chance of the legislation passing in that chamber.

(via JMG)

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ENDA advances in Senate committee vote 15-7

The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee has voted 15-7 to advance the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

Republican Senators Mark Kirk (IL), Lisa Murkowski (AK), and Orrin Hatch (UT) joined all Democrats on the committee in moving the bill to the Senate floor.

Today’s committee vote is the first since 2002. It was also “the first-time ever a committee in either chamber of Congress approved a version of ENDA that protects not only gay, lesbian and bisexual people from workplace discrimination, but also transgender people.”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he’ll take up the measure later this year.

(source)

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US Senate committee sets date for ENDA vote

A US Senate committee has set a date of July 10 for a vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, according to the Advocate:

The date set for the vote by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is exactly two weeks after the court ruled against both Proposition 8 and a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act.

ENDA, which would ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, is expected to easily obtain committee approval, as all 12 Democrats on the Senate panel are cosponsors of the legislation, and Republican senator Mark Kirk of Illinois is as well.

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Quote of the day: Sen. Max Baucus

Sen. Max Baucus writing for the Montana Standard:

“In Montana, we believe in personal freedom. We believe the government shouldn’t interfere in the people’s private business. That’s why I agreed to co-sponsor efforts to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

“There are more than 1,000 rights and obligations the federal government grants to married couples that same-sex couples are denied. It’s time to end marriage discrimination which is why I supported overturning the Defense of Marriage Act. Simply put: the federal government should not be interfering in the personal decision of who an adult chooses as a partner.

“When it comes to the workplace, it is unacceptable for anyone to be fired simply because of their sexual orientation.

“ENDA will help protect workers from this type of discrimination and I look forward to moving forward on this legislation in the Senate as soon as possible.

“Members of the LGBT community are our neighbors, brothers, sisters and friends. They are community leaders who bring the kind of diversity to our nation that makes it strong.

“We all have a role in making sure that Pride Month is not just something we check off on the calendar. ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’ for all Americans is what we are called to strive for every day of the year.”

Max Baucus is Montana’s longest serving U.S. Senator and the first statewide elected official to publicly acknowledge his support for marriage equality.