House Speaker John Boehner, a
Republican from Ohio, on Thursday said he sees “no need” for the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) when asked whether he would
allow a vote on the legislation.
ENDA, which seeks to prohibit workplace
discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender
identity, cleared the Senate with the help of 10 Republicans last
week.
(Related: Senate
approves gay protection bill ENDA; John McCain votes in favor.)
“I am opposed to discrimination of
any kind, in the workplace and any place else,” Boehner said in
response to an inquiry on the bill from the Washington
Blade. “But I think this legislation that I've dealt with
as chairman of The Education & The Workforce Committee long
before I was back in the leadership is unnecessary and would provide
a basis for frivolous lawsuits. People are already protected in the
workplace. I'm opposed to continuing this. Listen, I understand
people have differing opinions on this issue, and I respect those
opinions. But as someone who's worked in the employment law area for
all my years in the State House and all my years here, I see no basis
or no need for this legislation.” (The video is embedded on this
page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)
Chad Griffin, president of the Human
Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate,
responded by saying that Boehner is “flat out wrong on the facts
and the law.”
Currently, only 17 states have enacted
workplace protections that include sexual orientation and gender
identity.