Final Senate Vote on ENDA Set for Thursday Afternoon

The final Senate vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act is set for Thursday afternoon, The Hill reports:

On
Thursday, the Senate will vote on a GOP amendment to expand religious
exemptions under the bill before voting to end debate on the measure. If
Democrats get 60 votes to end debate, the Senate will then vote on
final passage at 1:45 p.m.

While many are calling the bill a non-starter in the House because
Speaker John Boehner opposes the legislation, Senate Majority Leader
Harry Reid was expressing optimism at a meeting with reporters today,
reports Chris Johnson at the Washington Blade:

Amid concerns that moving the bill in the House would be a non-starter
given the Republican leadership’s opposition, Reid said he “wouldn’t be
too sure about that.”

“I think the House is going to have to capitulate,” Reid said. “If they
have any hope of a president that can be a viable candidate, or they
think they can elect some Republicans, and want to hang on to the House,
they’ve got issues.”

After saying on the Senate floor Tuesday he thinks the bill would pass
the House if it were allowed to come up for a vote, Reid reaffirmed that
belief to reporters, saying passage would be “easy.”

Reid dismissed the idea of a discharge petition to move the bill and
also rejected attaching it to larger legislation like a defense bill:

Instead,
Reid said the better path is to make “one loud chant” to pass the bill
along with legislation related to immigration, marketplace fairness,
postal reform as well as the farm bill to make the House look like it’s
“living in some other world.”

More at The Blade…