Vice President Joseph R. Biden said there isn’t really a negative side to President Obama taking executive action and issuing an order to include lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals in federal laws against workplace discrimination.
He was speaking of workplaces that do business with federal contractors, The Hill reported.
“I don’t see any downside,” he told the Huffington Post. “The way to do this is to pass ENDA [Employment Non-Discrimination Act]. That ends it everywhere.”
Congress, however, isn’t on board with extending federal workplace protections to the LGBT crowd. One major sticking point, especially with conservatives: LGBT is a lifestyle choice and therefore unworthy of the same protections that race or gender demand.
Meanwhile, Mr. Biden admits that Mr. Obama doesn’t “have the ability to ban” all forms of workplace discrimination with the simple stroke of a pen, but that he was “still hopeful” the White House could pressure Congress to act, The Hill reported.
The Senate has passed a bill that bans discrimination at work based on sexuality. Republicans in the House, however, have balked and say such legislation would encourage costly and unnecessary lawsuits.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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