Reid: Senate To Vote On ENDA Before Thanksgiving

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., tells reporters that Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, and House Republicans are the obstacle to ending the government shutdown crisis, at the Capitol in Washington... Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., tells reporters that Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, and House Republicans are the obstacle to ending the government shutdown crisis, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013. President Barack Obama brought congressional leaders to the White House on Wednesday for the first time since a partial government shutdown began, but there was no sign of progress toward ending an impasse that has idled 800,000 federal workers and curbed services around the country. MORE LESS
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The Senate will hold a vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) before Thanksgiving, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced Monday.

ENDA would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who introduced the bill in April, told the Huffington Post he was pleased with Reid’s timeline for the bill.

“I thank Majority Leader Reid for committing to bring ENDA to the floor this work period,” Merkley said to The Huffington Post. “Americans understand that it’s time to make sure our LGBT friends and family are treated fairly and have the same opportunities. Now it’s time for our laws to catch up. People should be judged at work on their ability to do the job, period.”

ENDA has 54 cosponsors in the Senate, including two Republicans. However, the bill may face difficulty in the House, and Senate passage of the legislation could jumpstart conservative lobbying against the bill.

 

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