A bipartisan group of senators called for passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act to end workplace discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transvestite individuals on Tuesday
Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) supported ENDA after a Senate cloture vote opened debate on the legislation.
“ENDA is about civil rights,” Kirk said. “… The fact that a majority of Fortune 500 companies already have taken steps to stop discrimination in the workplace highlights that our action is overdue.”
With his support of ENDA, Kirk added that he “maintained the tradition” of President Abraham Lincoln and former Sen. Everett Dirksen (R-Ill.), a fiscal conservative who voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act in 1964.
ENDA would prevent employers from not hiring, firing or discriminating against employees based on their sexual orientation or their perceived sexual orientation.
“All Americans deserve a fair opportunity to pursue the American dream,” Collins said. “Over the years, we have rightly taken a stand against workplace discrimination based on race, sex, national origin, religion, age and disability. It is past time we ensure that all employees are judged on their talents, abilities, their hard work and capabilities by closing an important gap in federal law as it relates to sexual orientation.”
ENDA was supported by a bipartisan vote in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in July.