House to Vote on ENDA
November 6, 2007 at 10:43 am 6 comments
The House of Representatives will vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) this week most likely on Wednesday. A vote on the House floor has been postponed for several weeks to give LGBT activists tie to build congressional support for an amendment to restore gender identity language to the bill.
From the Washington Blade:
The decision to bring the bill, known as ENDA, to the House floor comes after weeks of behind-the-scenes debate among Democratic leaders over whether to allow a vote on an amendment to restore protections for transgender persons to the bill. Sources told the Blade Tuesday that a vote is likely to be held Wednesday, contradicting earlier reports that it would happen Tuesday.
News that House Democrats had decided to move ahead with the legislation surfaced late Monday afternoon, when the House Rules Committee announced it would meet within a few hours notice to decide on ground rules for the debate and vote on the bill.
In the hastily called meeting, which drew protests from Republicans, the Democratic-controlled rules panel approved a rule allowing three pre-arranged amendments to be introduced during the debate on the bill. One of the amendments calls for adding transgender protections to the legislation.
The rule states that the trans amendment, set to be introduced by gay Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), “may be withdrawn by its proponent” before it comes up for a vote.
Beyond the question of what will happen with the Baldwin amendment, is whether there are now even the votes to past a sexual orientation ENDA. Some LGBT activists and organizations and anti-gay activists have urged members of Congress to vote against a sexual orientation ENDA. If ENDA fails in the House, it will go down partially as a result of some LGBT activists opposing the bill.
Amazing.
Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: Congress, ENDA, gay rights, HRC, LGBT rights, Politics.
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1.
Christopher | November 6, 2007 at 11:21 am
But, several self-annointed gay spokespeople said the “T” never belonged in ENDA to begin with, so according to their reasoning, if trangendered Americans are tossed under the bus, ENDA should sail through the House and all is right in the Kingdom!
If ENDA fails, certain self-annointed gay spokespeople should’ve STFU and demanded transgendered inclusion from the beginning.
If ENDA fails, it proves that some of our alleged friends are worse than our enemies.
Just keeping it real.
2.
Michael Crawford | November 6, 2007 at 11:44 am
And getting even more real, you can do a school marm version of Oprah and at every activist and organization scream “You made mistakes and you made mistakes and you made mistakes….:”
There is no one here who could not have done better. Its as if the LGBT movement is not ready for prime time.
3.
proudprogressive | November 6, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Unity is where we have failed. Basic Solidarity concepts of coalition. Shame on the devisive. Shame on anyone that subscribes to half measures. this is not the same world as it was in 63. The Baldwin Amendment is chum thrown to the haters. Its astonishing so many do not see this..and would have this devisive compromise now. I still cannot figure out for the life of me WHY have the bill brought up now prior to having a new president…yeah i just do not get it – all i see is selfishness at the expense of those who need civil rights protections most.. I have not been this dissapointed in my community in a long time. oh well. My disdain for these political tactics, is not gong to change anything. Those who buy into this is just the way it is…are not helping. really. it saddens me.
4.
Christopher | November 6, 2007 at 12:45 pm
There is no one here who could not have done better. Its as if the LGBT movement is not ready for prime time.
I totally disagree.
This is where leadership comes in.
If Speaker Botox were a leader in the Tip O’Neill model and not a prissy socialite, she would wield the power that comes with the Gavel and greased wheels and promised the farm but, she would’ve seen to it that ENDA with transgendered protections passes.
But Speaker Botox is remote and removed and not willing to get her Armani suit dirty.
5.
Michael Crawford | November 6, 2007 at 1:04 pm
So you are saying that its Pelosi’s faulted that the support is not there for an inclusive ENDA rather than LGBT activists sharing the blame? A version of sexual orientation ENDA had been debated for three decades and then some activists expect to be able to add gender identity and six months later have the bill pass without problems? Come on.
Anybody who wasn’t living in a political dream world could see the difficulty coming. Members of Congress have never been brave and have had to be forced to pass civil rights legislation. We did not do the work necessary to make passage of a trans-inclusive bill possible and we have to acknowledge that.
6.
Christopher | November 7, 2007 at 11:21 am
What I’m saying is, the Human Rights Campaign needs to make up its mind.
Is it:
1. a lobbying organization
or,
2. a civil rights organization
The HRC has had 3 different positions on ENDA since last summer.
The first was trans-inclusive or nothing.
The second was neutral.
The most recent jettisoned trans-inclusiveness entirely and gave Pelosi and Reid a wink and a nod that they could stand on the sidelines and pass ENDA legislation with NO trans-protections whatsoever.
The problem began with the HRC and trickled up to Pelosi and Reid.