Praise-worthy: HELP Committee Passes Employment Non-Discrimination Act with Bipartisan Support

Equality finally seems to be catching on – after decades of fighting. The Supreme Court struck down the 1996 law banning federal recognition of same-sex marriage, and today the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) passed out of Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee with bipartisan support. ENDA prohibits discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In a 15-7 vote, all 12 Democrats on the committee supported the bill along with 3 Republicans.

The bill has been introduced in almost every Congress since 1994. During this same time period, 16 states and the District of Columbia have adopted laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and 88 percent of Fortune 500 Companies have implemented non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation while 57 percent include gender identityIn a statement reminiscent of MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Senator Harkin, the chairman of the HELP committee, stated:

“This bill renews our historical commitment to the advancement of civil rights, and to the American ideal of a meritocracy in which people are judged on their talent, ability, and qualifications—not by the color of their skin, their religion, their gender, their national origin, their age, whether they have a disability, their sexual orientation, or their gender identity.”

According to the Huffington Post, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expects the full Senate to vote on the bill later this year and Senator Harkin stated that he expects to have 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. The White House also expressed its long-time support for the bill and urged the House to move forward.

The National Women’s Law Center applauds the HELP Committee vote today and urges Congress to support the right of all employees to be free from discrimination in the workplace.