Sen. Carper on Senate Passage of ENDA: Bring First State Fairness to the Nation

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, known as ENDA. Currently, 33 states lack legal protection from discrimination in the work place based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives.

“I’m proud that today I joined 63 of my colleagues to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act forward in the Senate. Discrimination in the workplace is wrong, and, as a cosponsor of this legislation, it is my strong belief that all Americans deserve equal protection under the law, regardless of sexual orientation. In the First State, some of our biggest employers and companies, including DuPont, DOW, Bank of America, T.D. Bank, Christiana Care, and the University of Delaware, have been national leaders on this issue by already enacting their own policies to protect the rights of all of their employees.  Similarly, Delaware is one of 17 states nationwide that protects the rights of all workers, having passed a law three years ago that protects the gay community from workplace discrimination.  Unfortunately those protections aren’t enjoyed by all Americans.

“Today we took a step toward bringing that fairness enjoyed in the First State to the entire nation. This legislation is also about following the Golden Rule, ensuring that we treat others the way we want to be treated in the work place. It is my hope that my colleagues in the House will follow our bipartisan example and send this bill to the President for his signature.”