[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 22]
[Senate]
[Pages 30295-30296]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMINATION ACT OF 2007

  Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, this great Nation has long stood for a 
commitment to justice and equal rights for all Americans. Opening the 
doors of opportunity to all who have something to contribute has been a 
key to America's success as the world's strongest economy, and as the 
world's most successful democracy. Our cultural diversity

[[Page 30296]]

is a pillar of our strength, and the promise of equal rights is a 
fundamental freedom of our democracy. Today, the House passed the 
Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007, which would further promote 
and protect our country's diversity and every American's civil rights 
by further protecting Americans from discrimination in the workplace.
  This important legislation would prohibit workplace discrimination by 
making it illegal to fire, refuse to hire, or refuse to promote 
employees simply based on a person's sexual orientation. Currently, 
Federal law provides basic legal protection against employment 
discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin 
or disability but not sexual orientation. Discrimination on the basis 
of certain personal characteristics has no place in any workplace or in 
any State, and it is long overdue for Congress to extend American 
employees these protections. This legislation has broad support not 
only from civil rights groups but also from leading American 
corporations, because they understand that there is no place for 
discrimination in our workplaces.
  I commend the House for passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act 
of 2007, and I look forward to the Senate taking up this measure 
without delay.

                          ____________________