House Panel Rejects ENDA

Last night a GOP-dominated House panel rejected a last minute attempt to pass ENDA before Congress adjourns for the year. Chris Johnson reports at Washington Blade:

Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) introduced the amendment on behalf of Jared Polis (D-Colo.), who’s gay and chief sponsor of ENDA, during House Rules Committee consideration of the fiscal year 2015 defense authorization bill. Polis is a member of the Rules Committee, but was absent when the amendment came up for a vote. The panel, which is heavily stacked in favor of Republicans, rejected the amendment 7-3 without discussion by a party-line vote. Had the Rules Committee accepted the amendment, it would have made ENDA part of the defense spending measure before it headed to a vote on the full House floor.

Lawmakers who voted against the amendment were House Rules Committee Chair Pete Sessions (R-Texas), Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.), Rep. Richard Nugent (R-Fla.), Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) and Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas). Voting in favor of the amendment were Reps. Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-Calif.), James McGovern (D-Mass.) and Hastings. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) is one of eight House Republican co-sponsors of ENDA and a House Rules Committee member, but she wasn’t present during the committee session to vote on the amendment.

The Senate approved ENDA late last year. There is little chance of the bill moving forward again once the new Congress is seated next month.