Senator Mark Kirk, a Republican from
Illinois, on Monday gave his first speech on the Senate floor since
suffering a stroke in early 2012.
Kirk asked to remain seated while
giving his remarks.
He said that he had not spoken over the
past two years but “I have risen to speak because I believe so
passionately about enacting the ENDA statute.”
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act
(ENDA) seeks to prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual
orientation and gender identity.
“I think it's particularly
appropriate for an Illinois Republican to speak on behalf of this
measure, in the true tradition of Everett McKinley Dirksen and
Abraham Lincoln, men who gave us the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the
13th amendment to the constitution,” Kirk added. (The
video is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
After Kirk's comments, the Senate voted
61 to 30 to advance ENDA.
(Related: Gay
protections bill ENDA clears cloture hurdle in Senate.)