WASHINGTON, D.C. (SDJW) – If the White House was floating a trial balloon when officials told reporters that the President may soon sign an executive order banning government contractors from discriminating against members of the LGBT community, there were plenty of Democratic Senators and Representatives who did their best to keep that balloon aloft.
A flood of statements were issued Monday, June 16, by members of Congress in response to reports carried by the Associated Press and the Huffington Post that such an order was in the works
Jewish members of the Senate and the House had this to say on this and other issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community:
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California): ““I am very pleased that the White House will be taking action to protect federal contractors from discrimination. Workers should be judged on their qualifications and the job they do – not whom they love. The Senate has already passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and it is past time for the House to act to end discrimination in the workplace.” Federal contractors employ more than 20 percent of the American workforce. According to the Williams Institute, an executive order banning discrimination against federal contractors would protect 11 million more American workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation and up to 14 million more workers from discrimination based on gender identity.
Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colorado): “There is absolutely no place for discrimination of any kind in the workplace. Our country is founded on the principles of liberty, equality, and justice for all. Those principles must extend to all of our citizens, including those in the LGBT community. It’s unacceptable that people can be fired at any time simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This executive order should be reinforced by Congress to extend protections to all LGBT workers. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives has refused to even vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which the Senate passed seven months ago.”
Senator Ben Cardin (D-Maryland): “This has been a watershed time for equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Americans, indeed for all Americans. It’s been almost a year since the United States Supreme Court struck down portions of the Defense of Marriage Act and blocked enforcement of Proposition 8 in California, allowing loving families the federal legal recognition they rightly deserved. Maryland is now one of 20 states – plus the District of Columbia – that has legally recognized marriage equality as the law of the land. I expect that very soon LGBT Americans in more than a majority of states will have the same rights. The U.S. Senate also passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), moving us closer to a time when LGBT Americans nationwide can no longer be fired for simply being themselves. Marylanders also set a national example with passage of the Fairness for All Marylanders Act that was signed by Governor O’Malley recently. This new law will protect transgendered Marylanders from the kind of labor, housing, public accommodation, and employment discrimination no American should ever endure. I am proud of the progress we, as a nation, have made toward greater equality and protection of civil rights for all Americans, but I refuse to be satisfied. I join Allies of the LGBT community across the country in redoubling our efforts to move towards America in which all Americans are treated with the same dignity no matter who they love or how they identify. Finally, as Baltimore and communities across the country celebrate LGBT Pride Month, I would like to express a deep sense of solidarity for members of LGBT communities abroad. Far too often in the past year we have seen unabashed ignorance guide foreign governments to pass laws that codifying hate and discrimination. This behavior is unacceptable and I will continue to speak out against such actions wherever they arise. In the Senate, I’m a proud cosponsor of The International Human Rights Defense Act, which affirms LGBT rights as a foreign policy priority for the United States. Our country must lead by example as a defender of human rights and the rule of law.”
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Rep. David Cicilline (D-Rhode Island): “Employees should be judged on the quality of their work and not on who they are or who they love. Discrimination in the workplace is wrong and today, President Obama took a historic step toward making the workplace fairer. The President’s action will help to ensure that no American loses his or her job because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This is good public policy, good for employees and good for business. Last year the U.S. Senate passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a commonsense bill that ensures no American can be fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The House Republican leadership should take note of the bipartisan vote in the Senate and the broad public support that exists for ENDA and allow a vote on this legislation. It’s long past time to protect hardworking American workers in every state from unfair discrimination. I will continue to work with my colleagues and press hard for a vote to pass ENDA.” The President’s executive order, when implemented, will only protect employees of federal contractors. ENDA, which currently has 205 cosponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, would establish basic protections in the workplace to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for every American. There are currently only 18 states, including Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia that prohibit discrimination on bases of sexual orientation and gender identity, and an additional 3 states that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
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Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-New York): “Today is a great day for equality and I vigorously applaud President Obama. However, even after the signing of this executive order, there will still be far too many workplaces where LGBT workers are not protected from discrimination. Congress must follow President Obama’s lead and pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to ensure that LGBT workers throughout our nation are treated fairly,” said Congressman Nadler. “In America, your sexual orientation or gender identity should not be a factor in your employment and the Republican leadership of the House must stop standing in the way of Congress doing its part.” For nearly four decades, Congressman Nadler has been a lead sponsor of legislation to end LGBT workplace discrimination at the federal and state level. He is also the author of the “Respect for Marriage Act,” legislation that would repeal the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA) in its entirety and is the author of the “Uniting American Families Act,” which led the charge on legal protection of immigration rights for binational couples. The Congressman helped spearhead the amicus brief submitted by 212 members of Congress in United States v. Windsor, the case that successfully challenged DOMA’s federal definition of marriage as excluding married same-sex couples.“President Obama’s executive order will take the American values of fairness and equality and place them into the law for federal contractors,” said Congressman Nadler. “I am particularly proud that the President will be banning discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression. Civil rights are best advanced by protecting all members of the LGBT community. As we have seen in many states, the failure to include the transgender community in civil rights protections from the beginning makes it more difficult to extend protections later.”
Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colorado): “Today’s executive order is an important step in ending workplace discrimination against LGBT employees. I commend the President for his strong leadership. This action has sent a message to not only federal contractors, but employers everywhere that our nation is one where every man and woman deserves the right to be judged by the quality of their work, not who they are or who they love. While I applaud the President for taking this bold step, it also reminds us that our work on bringing equality to the workplace is not yet over. Across the nation there remain too many Americans who are faced with the unfortunate reality of hate and injustice as they pursue a career. It is time for the Congress to stand up to prejudice and pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act now! The votes are there, the need is there, all we are waiting for is the courage of the Speaker to be there.”
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-California): Schiff said he earlier led an effort urging President Obama to issue such an Executive Order. The announcement is an important step towards ending discrimination against LGBT employees and ensuring that they are judged based on the quality of their work and not because of who they are or who they love. The executive order, when implemented, will only protect employees of federal contractors and federal agencies. “The President’s actions today are important, and a welcome first step while we wait for the Republican leadership to bring up the Employment Non-Discrimination Act – which passed with strong bipartisan support in the Senate –- for a vote in the House,” said Rep. Schiff. “With the House leadership thus far preventing a vote, it was time to use every avenue available to fight discrimination against LGBT Americans. Nevertheless, this does not free Congress from the responsibility to pass ENDA and protect all workers from discrimination and we continue to call for such action.”
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Illinois) ““No one should fear losing their job simply for being open about who they are or whom they love,” Schneider said. “The President’s action to protect the employees of federal contractors is an important step in the effort to ensure all Americans are protected from workplace discrimination. It’s time for Congress to step up and pass ENDA, extending these important protections for all workers.” In March, Rep. Schneider joined his colleagues in asking the Obama Administration to prohibit federal contractors from discriminating based on sexual orientation.
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Preceding compiled by San Diego Jewish World staff