IS ENDA ON OBAMA'S RADAR?

Washington, D.C.-- On January 20, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the Obama administration would “work to make progress” on advancing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the current Congress despite Republican control of the U.S. House.

Asked by the Washington reporters whether the president expects passage of the legislation in U.S. Senate, where Democrats still hold a majority, Gibbs identified ENDA as among “a whole host things that the president has made part of his campaign.”

“We talked about DOMA a few days ago, ENDA, and other things that are important to build off the progress of repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’” Gibbs said. “I think those continue to be priorities of the president’s and we will certainly work to make progress on those fronts in obviously a much more challenging Congress over the course of the next two years.”

As it was introduced in the 111th Congress, ENDA would prohibit job discrimination against LGBT workers in most situations in the public and private workforce. In 2007, a version of ENDA passed the U.S. House that contained protections only on the basis of sexual orientation.

Even with Republicans in control of the House, where movement of the legislation is unlikely, Gibbs acknowledged that passage in the Senate would have value as a way to build momentum to complete legislative action at a later time.

“I think there’s no doubt that whenever you get something done in one [chamber], you’re certainly seeing it come to fruition,” he said.

ENDA in the last Congress saw no movement in either the House or the Senate. In the House, there was speculation that opponents would use a maneuver called the motion to recommit on the floor to target the transgender language and derail the legislation. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wouldn’t bring ENDA up for a vote until legislative action was complete on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

Until gay and lesbian workers in America, until Black people in America, until Latino and Asian-Pacific Islander people in America, until every under-represented community in America has equal access to the protections and rights in the workplace afforded to the majority and to the privileged, we fall short of Dr. King’s dream-- that we each be judged by the content of our character, not race, not religion, not gender identity, and not sexual orientation.

ENDA is a jobs bill, period. The current recession only compounds the devastating financial insecurity LGBT workers live with every day. ENDA offers economic justice—and economic security.

Gibbs declined to comment on whether Obama would address ENDA in the State of the Union address, saying he wasn’t “going to get into previewing” the speech. The address is set to happen on January 25 before a joint session of Congress.

Editor's Note:  A broad coalition, including AFL-CIO, AFSCME, CSEA, Pride At Work, SEIU 1199, The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, PFLAG National, National Center for Transgender Equality, National Black Justice Coalition, National Stonewall Democrats, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights are all urging their members to tell their Congressional representatives to pass ENDA this legislative session.