Frank: Lobby Congress on ENDA

BARNEY FRANK x390 (GETTY) | ADVOCATE.COM

Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts said Thursday that the language of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act had been finalized, serious vote counting had begun, and LGBT activists should contact their representatives and senators.

“We have an agreed-upon bill,” Frank said. “We’re going to get the bill voted on this spring — what people really ought to focus on is helping us get the vote. I think we’re pretty close, but it’s not a done deal.”

ENDA, which would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, currently has 199 cosponsors in the House and will require 216 votes for passage on the floor.

Frank’s remarks follow comments from House majority leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland earlier this week indicating that the House was likely to take a vote on the bill.

Frank, along with representatives Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Jared Polis of Colorado, has started member-to-member lobbying efforts. He said once they are certain they have the votes, the committee vote would take place first, and then the floor vote would be called shortly thereafter.

A person with ties to Senate offices gave similar advice on the Senate side, where the bill currently has 45 cosponsors but will require 60 votes for passage whether it’s a stand-alone bill or an amendment to another measure.

“We’re down about six Democrats,” said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

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Reader Comments

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Name: Emelye Waldherr
Date posted: 4/17/2010 9:06:25 PM
Hometown: Jamestown, NY

Comment:
The opponents of equal protections will use any lie and distortion available to cast fear and loathing against this bill. We can combat this with truth and facts. Nondiscrimination laws that are gender inclusive have been in effect for 34 years now, the first one in Minneapolis in 1976. Not one of the scare scenarios that the right wingers have proposed have ever happened. If they had, they'd be publicizing it to the hilt. Call your congress critters. If they are already a sponsor, thank them! If not, demand that they vote for this vital jobs bill. Remind them about how nothing the opponents are predicting has ever happened even when housing and public accommodation is covered as well as employment. This fight is winnable but we need everyone to get involved. Remember, you don't have to out yourself to support this bill either. Make the call today!
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Name: EL
Date posted: 4/16/2010 4:35:35 PM
Hometown: Alex, VA

Comment:
Forget any idea of tying repeal of DOMA or lifing DADT to ENDA! It's going to be hard enough to get ENDA passed with Transgenders included in it but repealing DOMA is much more controversial and has less support than passing ENDA! ENDA benefits the most people as only a fraction of us are in the Military and untill the military completed its Bogus investigation of the issue (like it hasn't been done before) and reports to Congress, alot of people won't vote for repeal! If you can get ENDA passed into law by tying it to the Defense Bill it maybe are only hope and that may still be longshot especially if more conservative republicans get into office after the November Mid-Term which is predicted. We were royally screwed by the Dems refusing to put ENDA up for a vote sooner because of excuses like healthcare!
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Name: EL
Date posted: 4/16/2010 4:27:00 PM
Hometown: Alexandria VA

Comment:
As feared, the inclusion of trangenders in the ENDA bill threatens to have it crash and burn! The right-wing can no longer use it's rhetoric against gays and lesbians to derail the bill so instead they focus on the fear of transexuals to flame hysteria and scare Congressmen and women from voting on it! The hold out Dems are not likel to support this bill. Even without Transgenders they wouldn't as they come from conservative states and Scott Brown can't be trusted to deliver as Ted Kennedy would! Congress dragged it's feet much too long on this with excuses. They should have voted on it sooner and now we face even harder times in November if more GOP candidates win seats which is likely! The only hope is to tack the bill onto somthing like the Defense Bill like we did with Hate Crimes as a stand alone bill will likely be DOA. We should have done ENDA with Hate Crimes while we had the chance! Now who knows how long will have to wait again!
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Name: Davya
Date posted: 4/16/2010 4:06:09 PM
Hometown: Wynnewood, PA

Comment:
Yes. Children will be taught by transgendered people and those children who are already trapped by their transgenderism will finally have a voice over racists like you. And it is normal behavior- so normal in fact, that it relates to something proven by social and psychological sciences as opposed to a world vision dominated by a pathetic slave mentality towards a weak patriarch (aka, Fundamentalist utopia) As for "so called sex change" medical science has exceeded admiration in this field, giving TRANSWOMAN (not, stupidly, "men who become women") an 80% accurate vagina and all of the NATURALLY estrogen related characteristics of a woman. More successful, I'm sure, than the so called "ex" gay therapy- 1/3 of which candidates succeed out of about 150 people.
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Name: Stephen
Date posted: 4/15/2010 11:30:57 PM
Hometown: Dayton, Ohio

Comment:
Call the capitol switchboard and call your senators and rep now! (202) 224-3121.
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Name: Mark
Date posted: 4/15/2010 7:29:22 PM
Hometown: Wappingers Falls

Comment:
Like the Hate Crimes Bill, the only way ENDA will pass is to tie it to the military budget (hopefully along with the repeal of the unconstiutional DADT and DOMA). Wake up, Barney!
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Name: Brad Bailey
Date posted: 4/15/2010 7:05:30 PM
Hometown: Fayetteville, AR

Comment:
The HRC has a form letter online that can be sent immediately to your senators and representatives urging them to support ENDA. I encourage all those reading this thread to take advantage of this opportunity make employment protections for all LGBTs a reality.

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