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New York Times
WASHINGTON — A measure that would outlaw workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity overcame a significant obstacle in the Senate on Monday as seven Republicans crossed party lines and voted to begin debate on the bill.The 61-30 vote marks the first time since 1996 that the full Senate will consider a measure to extend federal nondiscrimination law to gay, lesbian, and bisexual people — a stark reminder, supporters said, that as the public has come around to accepting gay rights, Congress has been slow to keep pace.
It is also the first time that either house of Congress has voted on a nondiscrimination bill that includes transgender people.
Reuters
A bill to ban workplace discrimination against gays narrowly cleared a Republican procedural roadblock in the Senate on Monday, just hours after the top Republican in Congress declared his opposition.On a vote of 61-30, one more than the needed 60, the Democratic-led Senate agreed to begin consideration of the bipartisan bill, with passage likely by the end of this week.
The Employee Non-Discrimination Act of 2013 has become the latest example of the ideological struggle within a divided Republican Party.
While an increasing number of Republicans back gay rights, reflecting the sentiment of the country, conservative groups threaten to challenge them in next year's elections when a third of the 100-member Senate and the full 435-member House will be up for grabs.
Once the Senate gives its anticipated approval of the bill, it will face an uphill climb in the Republican-led House of Representatives where Speaker John Boehner staked out his position in a one-sentence statement.
"The speaker believes this legislation will increase frivolous litigation and cost American jobs, especially small business jobs," said Boehner's press secretary, Michael Steel.
USA Today
The Senate moved forward on a bill to prohibit workplace discrimination against gays and lesbians Monday in an dramatic 61-30 vote. But opposition from the House speaker means the bill may not get to President Obama's desk.The Senate vote was not without suspense. With Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., at a funeral, Democrats needed last-minute support from two Republicans to get the 60 votes necessary to prevent a filibuster. Democratic leaders went into the Republican cloakroom to plead with Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Pat Toomey, R-Pa. After half an hour of voting, they both voted yes.
The vote clears the way for the Senate to consider the issue for the first time since 1996, when it failed in the Senate by a single vote.