In an interview published in the San Diego Gay & Lesbian News, Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) said that she believes the votes are there for passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and DADT repeal:
"Baldwin does believe the votes are in place in the House to pass ENDA and a DADT repeal bill.
'As someone who has actually counted the votes, I believe that there are,' Baldwin said. 'That’s one of the things the LGBT Equality Caucus does is to [focus] attention to making sure we can tell [House] leadership, with accuracy, what the vote would be if they bring the measures up to the floor.'
The Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus is a group of legislators in the House who are strong supporters of equal rights for LGBT people. The caucus is organized similarly to the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Baldwin and Rep. Barney Frank established the LGBT Equality Caucus in June 2008. It now includes nearly 90 members of Congress.
President Barack Obama has recently met with both the Congressional Black and Congressional Hispanic caucuses, but not yet with the LGBT one. Baldwin says this is because 'we haven’t put a spotlight on it of late.' She said the group 'probably' would press for a meeting with the president in the future.
Pressure has grown dramatically in recent days for a spotlight on LGBT-related issues in Congress."
Lt. Dan Choi, Cpt. Jim Pietrangelo, and activist Robin McGehee were arrested last week during civil disobedience meant to put pressure on the White House to make Congress act on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". The same day, sit-ins were held in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's offices in San Francisco and D.C. to pressure the Speaker to move ENDA to the floor for a vote.
Yes, but the problem, as always with our legislative priorities, lies not in the House but in the Senate.
We don't have 60 votes there for either of these bills. In fact, we may not even have 50 votes. That's why we need to be formulating a plan to attach both of these bills as amendments to larger, must-pass pieces of legislation.
And we should be pursuing ENDA first, since it affects more people by far.
Posted by: 24play | Mar 22, 2010 5:22:20 PM
If we don't have the 50 + 1 (Biden) votes in the Senate, then there's something completely wrong. Stop giving to the DNC who spreads the love and only to those candidates that support our cause.
Posted by: Keith | Mar 22, 2010 5:54:31 PM
attaching dadt to the defense authorisation bill (including it in committee) is definitely what they should do.
i don't know which should pass first, but my intuition is that dadt repeal is perhaps more strategically doable (would need 60 votes against it to strike it out of a must pass defense bill) and also popular; plus, dadt is clearly a law that goes against so much of what this country stands for, it's hard to argue against (sheehan *sshatery notwithstanding);
on the other hand, enda's passed the house already in its trans-less form, but i don't know how they'd vote for it in the senate...
Posted by: daftpunkydavid | Mar 22, 2010 6:20:36 PM
Getting ENDA passed is the most important one of all.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Mar 22, 2010 6:31:44 PM
I will believe it when I see it. I don't trust anything that congress says anymore.
Posted by: DairyQueen | Mar 22, 2010 6:41:32 PM
Exactly which legislators are on the caucus, and which are not, for the information of all?
Posted by: customartist | Mar 22, 2010 9:35:11 PM
Time to name names. Who is on our side, and where do we sign up to put pressure on those who lack the convictions of equality for the LGBTQ community? I think advocates in New York are on to something. . .
Posted by: Keith | Mar 22, 2010 10:36:23 PM
The LGBT Caucus is basically the Progressive Caucus.
The only odd duck is Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who's definitely not progressive on any other issue. If they were smart though, they'd let her lead the charge rather than the usual suspects. With all due respect to Frank, Baldwin, and Polis - someone who lacks a personal attachment to the subject might prove more effective in driving home the point that homophobia is unacceptable. The Democrats can also lay claim to having bipartisan support. Even though it is only one person, it matters to the media for some reason.
215 Democrats + 1 Republican = Bipartisanship.
In terms of getting the votes, the targets are obviously the 54 Blue Dogs and the 68 Clinton-Blair "Third Way" types. The remaining Democrats are backbenchers - about 45 or so - who are not affiliated with a major ideological faction. Unless it is a really controversial matter, they tend to do whatever the Speaker tells them to do. But you need the Progressives (90) plus one other faction before the Her Highness will get off her throne and help.
You might peel off about half a dozen Republicans too. But I wouldn't count on that given how united they are in right-wing denialism nowadays.
Posted by: John | Mar 23, 2010 1:15:11 AM
Since ENDA is about employment only, it could easily be attached to a jobs related bill that the Republicans would be unwilling to vote against in an election year. Now that the health care mess is resolving, this needs to be pressed in both houses. The votes are there are can be had by adding protections to a larger, harder to oppose, bill. Tell Nancy and your congrescritters to get moving!
Posted by: Emelye Waldherr | Mar 23, 2010 9:27:26 AM