Can Democrats Force an ENDA Vote in the House of Representatives?

John Boehner - Anti-gay douche bag

Poll after poll shows that a significant majorities of Americans support employment non-discrimination protections for LGBT employees.   Perhaps equally significant is the fact that a majority of Americans think such protections are already in place even though in 29 states no such protections exist.  Yet despite this reality Republicans in the House of Representatives intent on prostituting themselves to Christofascist extremist have consistently killed efforts to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.  Since the Senate passed the bill last year, the ever despicable John Boehner will not allow the bill to even come up on the floor for a vote.  Now, a move may be a foot by Democrats to force a vote despite GOP intransigence.  Here are highlights from MetroWeekly:

With congressional Democrats seeking to force a vote on immigration reform in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives through the use of a discharge petition, the White House indicated Wednesday its openness to using a similar strategy to pass LGBT workplace protections.

Earlier Wednesday, House Democrats launched a discharge petition on immigration reform. A rare legislative maneuver that requires 218 signatures to be successful, a discharge petition would allow Democrats to bypass Republican leadership and bring immigration reform to the House floor for a vote. Few, however, are predicting the chamber's 199 Democrats will be able to secure enough signatures from their Republican colleagues to force a vote on an immigration-reform bill that mirrors one passed by the Senate last year. Still, the move did draw headlines and praise from President Barack Obama.

Asked if Obama would support a similar strategy for approving the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) — another bill that achieved bipartisan Senate approval before being blocked by Republican leadership in the House — a White House spokesman said the administration would welcome any efforts to secure a vote on ENDA.

Using a discharge petition to force a House vote on ENDA, which would prohibit most employers from discriminating in hiring on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, has been a strategy mentioned by ENDA supporters long before the Senate approved the measure last November. And much like immigration reform, ENDA supporters on and off Capitol Hill have voiced confidence that if House Speaker John Boehner were to allow ENDA to come for a vote, the bill would pass.

But while Republican votes might be there in the House, that doesn't necessarily mean those potential "Yea" votes would sign a discharge petition. During a roundtable discussion with a small group of reporters the day before the Senate passed ENDA, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid dismissed the possibility of a discharge petition, noting that Boehner has reined in his caucus from participating in such a legislative maneuver before.

"The work ahead of us is to get to 218 members, from both parties, on the record supporting ENDA," said Human Rights Campaign Vice President Fred Sainz. "We're keeping our eye on that prize."

I for one will not be holding my breath waiting for a discharge petition to succeed.  Sadly, I will not be holding my breath waiting for Barack Obama to grow a spine and sign an ENDA executive order.   In fact, my response to Democrats seeking campaign contributions is that I will consider donating as soon as Obama signs such an executive order.   My location of the LGBT ATM is closed.