Out Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass. ) was set to introduce the Employment Nondiscrimination Act this week, but said he is holding off on formally submitting the bill as he looks for more cosponsors.
In a March 30 press conference on Capitol Hill, Frank did not provide a specific timeline for the introduction of ENDA, but said he wanted to make sure it had the most amount of legislative support possible when it was unveiled.
He was unequivocal, however, in his thoughts on the bill’s passage under the current Republican-controlled House.
“This is a chance to continue — not begin, but continue — a lobbying effort that I am convinced will be successful, frankly, next time the Democrats take back the House of Representatives,” he said.
Frank drew the ire of some LGBTs when he dropped “gender identity” from the 2007 version to ensure its passage; the 2009 and current versions are trans-inclusive.
Details on a companion bill in the Senate have not yet been announced.
Currently, 21 states and Washington, D.C., ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, 12 of which also extend protections based on gender identity.
“All Americans worry about their economic future, but LGBT Americans’ anxieties are exacerbated when they can be fired for no other reason than their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “Passing ENDA is a key element of making sure all Americans can get back to work and get our country moving again.”
The last version of the bill, introduced in June 2009, died in committee with 203 cosponsors. Last session, a Senate committee held its first-ever hearings on ENDA.
Jen Colletta can be reached at [email protected].