Breaking: ENDA Will Get Initial Senate Vote Before Thanksgiving Says Reid

“Could come up as early as next week”

Majority Leader Harry Reid is promising ENDA will go to the Senate for consideration for a vote before Thanksgiving, and possibly next week. An Employment Non-Discrimination Act has been introduced into every Congress except one, in one form or another, since 1994, and similar legislation has been introduced as far back as 1974. After five decades, the U.S Congress has been unable to protect the rights of LGBT Americans to work without being fired for being LGBT.

The bill would require 60 votes to prevent a GOP filibuster and to allow floor debate, and 60 votes again to allow passage of the legislation. Even if it were to pass the Senate, it is not likely the GOP-led House will pass the bill, and highly doubtful Speaker John Boehner would even allow it to go to the floor for a vote.

ENDA legislation was expected to reach the Senate floor in July.

Buzzfeed’s Chris Geidner reports that “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.”

The Human Rights Campaign, which has been one of the leading advocacy groups pressing the legislation for more than a decade, praised the move.

“We’re gratified that Senator Reid is bringing this important bill to the floor. Over the course of the past six months, we’ve worked hard to ensure that senators know their constituents support this bill. We’re in the homestretch of securing the 60 votes necessary and remain optimistic that the support will be there when we need it,” HRC vice president for communications Fred Sainz said.

Freedom to Work’s Tico Almeida pressed his group’s work on securing support from Republicans.

“After months of meeting with Republican Senators and their senior staff, we’re confident we have the 60 votes to defeat any attempted filibuster. But we’re keeping the pressure up as the vote approaches,” he told BuzzFeed.

Ironically, last week, Cindy McCain signed an HRC petition asking her husband, Arizona GOP Senator John McCain, to support the legislation.

Across the nation, the vast majority of Americans believe businesses should not be able to fire LGBT people for being LGBT. Further, sadly, the majority of Americans believe these protections already exist nationwide. They do not.

 

Image by Freedom To Work via Facebook