DADT and ENDA Updates: Defense Vote, Pelosi Conference Call, WaPo

A few updates on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held a conference call with LGBT leaders and press on Monday and said she has "no intention of losing on either" DADT or ENDA, reports The Advocate.

On Friday, the Obama Administration transmitted its 2011 Defense Authorization Act Request. The transmittal does not include the DADT repeal language." But a repeal vote is likely to be considered next week, the Speaker says, and repeal language could be proposed on the House floor as an amendment to the DAR.

A vote on ENDA—stalled since September—could come the second week of June. "Pelosi also said she thought ENDA would have a much better likelihood of passing if DADT repeal were successfully ushered through first."

There is also the possibility of an offensive "motion to recommit" from Republicans—a last ditch procedural move. Rumors for the past two weeks suggest the GOP will propose an ugly procedural move targeting transgenders.

"Some Hill observers think the motion to recommit could go beyond a simple effort to strip out gender identity protections to being something more hostile, more depraved in the way it targets certain segments of the transgender community. At the same time, advocates decline to guess at the language publicly for fear that it might actually be adopted by the right and used against them. But there is no way to know if a motion to recommit will be offered or what the nature of such a motion would be until the legislation comes to a vote."

In related news: The Washington Post published a curious article last week on ENDA. The piece focused on Republican and Blue Dog opposition to transgender rights. No LGBT activists were quoted but anti-gay North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler ("D") was quoted. WaPo also quoted  the far-right wing Traditional Values Coalition, labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Too bad WaPo editor Jonathan Capehart is too busy criticizing gay activists on ENDA and DADT. Maybe he could have caught that.

Comments

[Andy Niable]

With only a few days to go before mark up, we're one vote shy of DADT repeal being put into this year's defense bill. PLEASE FOCUS on Sens. Bayh (IN), Brown (MA), Byrd (WV), Nelson (NE) & Webb (VA).

202.224.3121 is the Congressional Switchboard Number.

Direct contact information:

Bayh, Evan - (D - IN)
131 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-5623
Web Form: bayh.senate.gov/contact/email/

Brown, Scott P. - (R - MA)
317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4543
Web Form: scottbrown.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/emailscottbrown

Byrd, Robert C. - (D - WV)
311 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-3954
Web Form: byrd.senate.gov/contacts/

Nelson, Ben - (D - NE)
720 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-6551
Web Form: bennelson.senate.gov/contact-me.cfm

Webb, Jim - (D - VA)
248 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4024
Web Form: webb.senate.gov/contact.cfm

[Chris Cruz]

Of course if we started this lobbying and pushing last year this time when many folks suggested we'd better in a much better position...

But I guess it doesn't matter because according to that Advocate report you quoted, the White House told the Pentagon and key senators they would NOT push for a vote this year. Gates letter and the defense request proved that.

If DADT is repealed it will be IN SPITE of Obama and HRC, not BECAUSE of Obama and HRC. Its quite obvious Obama doesnt want to do it this year and if we lose seats this year it may not happen for years to come. And its very obvious that HRC knew this.