Romney's Potential Vice President Says ENDA Would Be Bad for Businesses

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, a potential vice presidential candidate for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, told ThinkProgress Thursday that he doesn’t support the Employee Non-Discrimination Act.

He said the bill, “would make it more difficult for employers to feel comfortable, to be able to hire, and to keep this economy moving.”

ENDA would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity by nonreligious employers with more than 15 employees.

Romney told reporters last month that he doesn’t support ENDA at a national level, but he does support letting states ratify ENDA independent of the federal government.

President Barack Obama has said he would support a congressional decision to pass ENDA. The Senate Committee on Health, Education and Labor held a hearing about ENDA on Tuesday.