[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 173 (Thursday, November 8, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H13389]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMINATION ACT

  (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, America's a great Nation, but it's a work 
in progress; and we still have work to do when it comes to protecting 
the rights of every American.
  No one understands that better than Representative Barney Frank, my 
friend and colleague from Massachusetts. With Barney's leadership, the 
House passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act last night. ENDA is 
a clear statement that we will protect and defend the rights of 
Americans in the workplace.
  As far as I'm concerned, the issue comes down to one simple 
declarative sentence: your sexual orientation and lifestyle is your own 
business, not your employer's business. No person or business in this 
country should have the right to discriminate against any American.
  I stand proudly shoulder to shoulder with Barney Frank and my 
constituents in Seattle in strong and unwavering support of ENDA. A 
chance at the American Dream should apply to every American. Gay, 
lesbian, bisexual, they all hope and care and wish like all the rest of 
us. They deserve nothing less than a full measure of justice and 
equality in this country. So do the transgender Americans, and we have 
more work to do to extend the protections to them.
  We made progress with ENDA and neither Barney Frank, nor I, nor my 
constituents will rest until we can declare with conviction that all 
Americans are created equal.

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