Obama Urges ENDA Passage By Congress To End Workplace Discrimination

[Tx4obama]

Obama Urges ENDA Passage By Congress To End Workplace Discrimination

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is marking Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month by calling on Congress to pass legislation banning workplace discrimination against gays and lesbians.

He says such bias is wrong and must be changed.

Obama says legislation pending in Congress would ban such discrimination "now and forever." Said Obama: "We need to get that passed."

The president spoke Thursday at a White House reception in honor of LGBT Pride Month.

-snip-
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/13/obama-enda_n_3438124.html

[railsback]

1. Its a tough gig

Protecting AND serving the public. I don't think 99% of Americans understand how hard his job is.

[Igel]

5. There are tougher.

Serving and ruling the same population.

Claiming to be a kind of moral standard-bearer when there are varying definitions of what "American morality" is.

Being a defender of the Constitution and the unitary source of all Executive power that the Constitution both grants and delimits.

[railsback]

6. In other words, yes, its a tough gig

[RudynJack]

2. What?

Heckling Michelle wasn't enough? Imagine...

[treestar]

3. So this means he would sign it

so the pressure should be on Congress. But you know who will get the blame instead.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. I urge those on the sidelines to recall the paths we have all walked before

around these issues and understand that there might be some politics needed to get this passed and the President knows this and is a willing participant in such dialog creating actions and events. If you have ever celebrated the repeal of DADT, I implore you to think back in time and recall that to get to the repeal, there was a long road that included much discussion here. Not all who now cheer for that repeal were happy about the path we had to travel to get to it.
There was a time when DADT on DU got 'you want a pony' and 'poutrage' and we all know that. Honest dealings with past and present will go a long way in the future.
Here are the words of President Barack H Obama, these are the words ardent supporters should remember when they feel upset when they see him engaged in politics around tough issues, remember what we got out of DADT while some here criticized every last thing we did. And remember these words, Obama's words, so much more important that that which some poster might type up to express how bothered they are by folks wanting basic rights. Live these words, be the change we are waiting for. It won't be easy, but do it anyway. Please.

"Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law, for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal, as well."

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

14. But, you have given him such a hard time on this issue, even when we all knew that

Congress must act to repeal these discriminatory laws. Every time the president has spoken out in favor of ending discrimination against the LGBT community, it never seems to be good enough. He can't just snap his fingers and poof, the discrimination is gone. As you rightly put, this is a process. And sometimes the change doesn't happen overnight, and when it does, it's not an easy battle. Those of us who are women and people of color (I am both) know this very well. We didn't obtain our civil rights overnight; it was a very painful, incremental process and we're still fighting to maintain some semblance of rights to this very day--those rights being threatened in Congress (reproductive rights) and by the courts (citizenship/voting rights).

I'm glad that we can agree: the struggle is great; it is not easy and change will not happen overnight. It takes ALL of us to push for that change, not just one man. ALL OF US!!

[Cha]

7. K&R.. thank you, Tx!

[jenmito]

8. Thanks for this. K&R&T. n/t

[dsc]

9. obviously a law is the best answer

but equally obviously it isn't going to happen during the rest of Obama's term. So Obama should do, what many governors have done, and issue an executive order covering those he can. He should do what FDR did for blacks in the 1940's and issue an executive order doing what he can. It wouldn't be perfect but it would be helpful.

[Tx4obama]

10. "... but equally obviously it isn't going to happen during the rest of Obama's term..." Huh?

I don't believe that. I believe ENDA will be voted on this year and it will pass.
I remember when lots of folks didn't think DADT would be repealed and it is.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
June 04, 2013
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 6/4/2013
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
1:13 P.M. EDT

-snip-

Q: Jay, over a year ago when we learned the President would not sign an executive order prohibiting federal contractors from LGBT workplace discrimination, advocates were told that the White House would instead commission a study of LGBT workplace discrimination possibly led by the Council of Economic Advisors. I was wondering if you could give us any status or update on that study.

MR. CARNEY: I don't have any updated status on that for you. I can tell you that the President has long supported, as you know, an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, known as ENDA. And his administration will continue to work to build support for it. And we welcomed Chairman Harkin's announcement that he will vote -- hold a vote, rather, on ENDA this year. And that remains our position.

Q: Are there any details about the study? Who's leading it, when it might be released, or anything like that?

MR. CARNEY: I just don’t have any details for you.

Q: And one last follow-up. On this issue, people are becoming a little disheartened with the White House. What do you say to those who look at this answer from you today and are discouraged or say, if you want an issue to go away in Washington, you commission a study? What's your response to that?

MR. CARNEY: I think that the President's record on support for LGBT rights is significant and well known. The President believes that the right approach to this problem is an inclusive piece of legislation, and that’s the approach that we're taking. It was the approach that we took with repeal of "don't ask, don't tell". And we continue to support this effort. We welcome Chairman Harkin's steps in the direction of holding a vote on this.

So that’s the position that we think is right, strategically, when it comes to making this happen.

-snip-

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/06/04/press-briefing-press-secretary-jay-carney-642013

Note: The text above is from a .gov website, therefore is excluded from the four paragraph copyright rule.

[dsc]

11. the House will not pass it

as long as it is a GOP House. DADT we had the votes for it was a matter of overcoming the obstruction in the Senate. I don't think the votes even exist in the House let alone having the leadership allow a vote.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

15. So if that's the case, we need to show up in overwhelming numbers in 2014 and vote for DEMOCRATS

As many progressive Democrats as we can.

[davidpdx]

12. I tend to agree it won't even pass the Senate unless...

they finally figure out they need to change the filibuster rule. A vote surely could happen, but all that will happen is the Republicans will invoke cloture and the chances of them getting to 60 are slim. We'd have to get 6 Republicans to agree to allow debate (we only have 54 now). Which 6 will vote with us?