Contact FL Sen. Bill Nelson, ENDA Legislator of the Day

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Thursday November 19, 2009 · 12:21 PM PST

2009/11/19 · 12:21

While we stand around, twiddling our thumbs, waiting for the doorman to check his clipboard and open the velvet rope to let ENDA inside the House for markup, we have some extra time to pull out our cellphones and dial that cute Senator playing hard-to-get. There is, by the way, some interesting news on that markup postponement, and more to come, which I will review in my Weekly ENDA Update on Monday. Today's sweetheart is Senator Bill Nelson.

Senator Bill Nelson (the second sitting Congressmember to fly in space), has generally been a supporter of the LGBT community.

But where is he on ENDA? We don't know, because he's said he's undecided. We're at 56 likely yes votes in the Senate. Those last four are a bit of a challenge, though there are 9 possible yes votes according to my calculations. Senator Nelson is one of those possible yes votes.

Please call him today to ask for his support of S1584. Facts and contact info after the jump.

mcc111

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Wednesday November 18, 2009 · 9:05 AM PST

2009/11/18 · 09:05

United ENDA, a coalition of hundreds of LGBT groups across the nation, has designated today as National Call-In Day for ENDA. They are asking us to call our U.S. legislators today -- your Representative and your two Senators.

The idea is to show how much support there is out there for ENDA and LGBT rights. You should call regardless of whether your legislators are already supportive of the bill, or are undecided, or even if they are totally unsupportive. You should call even though you've called before. This isn't about them so much. It's more about us.

Many of us have been critical of the Administration and Congress. We are tired of being jerked around. Let's show them that we are not to be trifled with. United ENDA's pitch is after the jump.

mcc111

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Tuesday November 17, 2009 · 8:51 AM PST

2009/11/17 · 08:51

News of the postponement of ENDA [see link] is still fresh, and there is no word on when ENDA might get back on track.

However, that is no excuse to slack off. It will get back on track sooner or later, and when that day comes, we will still need to make sure we have 60 Senators on board.

Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas is a key vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Meanwhile, Senator Pryor's cohort, Senator Blanche Lincoln, came out against ENDA in a letter to a constituent. She has, however, I have been given to understand, tentatively disavowed that letter as the work of a misinformed staffer.

We're at 56 likely yes votes in the Senate. Those last four are getting increasingly hard to find. Senator Pryor is not one of them, though he could be.

Please call Senator Pryor today to ask for his support for S.1584. Facts and contact info after the jump.

mcc111

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Monday November 16, 2009 · 8:35 AM PST

2009/11/16 · 08:35

U.S. Representative George Miller, Democrat of California's 7th Congressional District, is the Chair of the House Committee on Education and Labor, and a supporter of H.R. 3017, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. He will be presiding over the mark up of the ENDA bill this Wednesday at 10 am. You can view it as the Committee's website (see Live Webcast on the top right).

"Markup" is a meeting of the Committee to consider whether the bill should be reported back to the House floor for a vote of the full House. The markup will involve the full Committee, consisting of 47 voting members. Amendments are likely to be made at that hearing, some friendly, some not so much. There are 27 definite yes votes for ENDA on the Committee, which is a majority, so the bill expected to pass the Committee. You can see the positions of each of the Committee members here.

mcc111

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Friday November 13, 2009 · 11:44 AM PST

2009/11/13 · 11:44

This past Wednesday, I posted about a possible slow-down of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. I have to admit I was very concerned, though others counseled that ENDA was on track.

Yesterday afternoon, thankfully, the House Committee on Education and Labor announced that it would take the next step in moving ENDA forward. It will "mark up" the bill in a hearing to take place next Wednesday, November 18 at 10 a.m., which will be broadcast live on the Committee's website. The Committee is then expected to pass the bill back to the full House for a vote.

Meanwhile: Today's Legislator of the Day is Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Please call and ask her to support S1584, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Contact info and more after the jump.

mcc111

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Thursday November 12, 2009 · 8:46 AM PST

2009/11/12 · 08:46

How will Delaware's Senator Tom Carper vote on S1584, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act? We don't know, since he hasn't yet indicated his position. Delaware's other Senator, Senator Ted Kaufman, just recently co-sponsored the bill.

In understanding the strategy for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would extend civil rights to LGBT workers, it's important to understand that secrecy is our enemy. The Senate leadership will not bring this vote to the floor unless there are enough Senators in favor to overcome the expected Republican filibuster. That means 60 solid votes. Senator Tom Carper of Delaware, though his record suggests that he has been supportive of LGBT civil rights in the past, has kept mum. That's a problem. Please call him and ask him to support S1584.

Contact info and more after the jump.

mcc111

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Wednesday November 11, 2009 · 12:31 PM PST

2009/11/11 · 12:31

Congressional offices are closed today for Veterans Day, so we can take a break from calling our Senators. As you know, we have been working on moving the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the U.S. Senate, where the real fight is expected to take place. We are missing 4 votes in the Senate, but the House is considered by insiders to have a solid grip on ENDA.

If hints of rumors that I'm getting are good indicators, however, then their grip may be slipping, just a tiny bit. I have heard from D.C. insiders that some of the more conservative House Democrats are beginning to raise concerns about ENDA.

mcc111

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Tuesday November 10, 2009 · 8:54 AM PST

2009/11/10 · 08:54

Senator Paul Kirk of Massachusetts and Ted Kaufman of Delaware have signed on as the newest co-sponsors of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, S. 1584.

Just as it is important to ask for support, it is also important to say thank you.

Senator Kirk made the list last week, on November 4, the day before the Senate hearing. Senator Kaufman's name appeared this morning.

Please take the time to call and say thank you to Senators Kirk and Kaufman for stepping up to the plate on civil rights.

I will be on the radio tonight on a call-in show on WRFG (which you can hear on the internet) at approximately 7:30 ET to discuss this and more on ENDA. Please feel free to call in and ask a question or make a comment.

Contact info and more after the jump.

mcc111

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Monday November 09, 2009 · 9:10 AM PST

2009/11/09 · 09:10

The Senate held hearings to a nearly empty Committee chamber last week regarding the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Only five Senators showed up, all Democrats, including the Chair of the Committee, Senator Harkin, the lead sponsor, Senator Merkley, and three other Senators, Senators Franken, Casey and Bennet. It left me with some fundamental questions about the process.

There was a stark difference between the House hearings, held in September, and the Senate hearings. The House testimony took a broad approach, full of stories by LGBT employees and statistics regarding discrimination, as well as discussions about various potential objections to the bill. The Senate hearing, to the contrary, was more narrowly focused on business and religious objections to the bill. There was one gay witness and no transgender witnesses. There were two government witnesses, a law prof, one witness from industry, and two witnesses who presented objections to the bill.

mcc111

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Friday November 06, 2009 · 8:58 AM PST

2009/11/06 · 08:58

Interesting doings yesterday at the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee's hearing on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which you can view here. I congratulate the Committee and witnesses on doing a wonderful job of addressing business and religious objections to the bill. We had 375 people stop into our Liveblog of the hearing.

In the cold light of an upstate New York morning, here's how I read the numbers on the hearing:

ZERO

Trangender witnesses
Republican Senators in attendance

ONE

Gay witness
Big IF ("Sen. Harkin: IF the leadership - Senator Reid - sees an opening, we'll move it.")

FOUR

Additional Senators needed to stop a Republican filibuster

FIVE

Democratic Senators in attendance...

mcc111

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Wednesday November 04, 2009 · 9:11 AM PST

2009/11/04 · 09:11

Last night's loss in Maine for marriage equality was very disappointing, losing by about 5 percentage points, but the ENDA-like non-discrimination ordinance won in Kalamazoo by an amazing 30 percentage points*.

I'm sorry to say that we have little time to mourn the loss of marriage equality in Maine, because there is a Senate hearing on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act tomorrow morning at 10 am. United ENDA, a group of over 400 LGBT organizations, has sent out an action alert asking that you call your Senators.Click here for their easy email form.

Where is Indiana's Democratic Senator Evan Bayh on ENDA? We don't know, since he has kept his position to himself. He's one of 6 Senators** likely to vote for ENDA, but who hasn't publicly stated his support. The leadership won't bring it to a vote unless they know they have 60 votes to overcome the Republican filibuster. Please call and ask him to step up to the plate. Contact info and more after the jump.

mcc111

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Tuesday November 03, 2009 · 9:02 AM PST

2009/11/03 · 09:02

On passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Big news! The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has just announced its witness list. It's an interesting list that raises hope and questions, and I've uncovered some facts about the witnesses that you can see after the jump.

But meanwhile, down in West Virginia, longtime Senator Jay Rockefeller IV has been a quiet friend to the LGBT community. Perhaps too quiet.

He's one of 6 Senators who are quite likely to vote in favor, but who have resisted calls to declare public support. The problem with this closet support is that the leadership will not bring ENDA to a vote unless they know they have the 60 votes necessary to defeat the Republican filibuster.

Please call Senator Rockefeller and ask him to speak up. Remind him there's a hearing on Thursday in the Senate on ENDA.

Contact info and more on the ENDA Senate Witness list, just announced, after the jump.

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Contact FL Sen. Bill Nelson, ENDA Legislator of the Day

Today is National Call-In Day for ENDA

ENDA: Contact Sen. Mark Pryor + House Markup Postponed

Weekly ENDA Update: Could A House Vote Be Next Week? [Updated]

ENDA: Contact Lisa Murkowski of AK + House Markup Wednesday

Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware: ENDA Legislator of the Day

Rumors of ENDA Slow-Down in the House

Please Thank Sen. Kirk and Kaufman: ENDA's Newest Co-Sponsors

Weekly ENDA Update: What Did The Senate Hearing Accomplish?

Sen. Ted Kaufman of Delaware: ENDA Legislator of the Day

Sen Evan Bayh of Indiana: ENDA Legislator of the Day

ENDA: Contact Jay Rockefeller of WV + Hearing witness list