Heinrich Co-signs Bicameral Letter Urging Executive Order To Protect LGBT Workers From Workplace Discrimination
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) co-signed a letter today calling on President Barack Obama to issue an executive order banning contractors from receiving federal government contracts unless they have a policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. The letter was led by U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and U.S. Representative Jared Polis (Colo-02) and is signed by more than 175 members of Congress.
"[We] urge you to fulfill the promise in your State of the Union address to make this a 'year of action' and build upon the momentum of 2013 by signing an executive order banning federal contractors from engaging in employment discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans," wrote the signatories. "An executive order covering LGBT employees would be in line with a bipartisan, decades-long commitment to eradicating taxpayer-funded discrimination in the workplace."
Senator Heinrich is a strong advocate for equal rights for all Americans. He voted to pass Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) in the Senate, a bill he cosponsored, and is cosponsoring the Restore Honor to Service Members Act, a bill that would help service members discharged solely due to their sexual orientation before repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy to correct their military records to reflect their honorable service and reinstate the benefits they have earned.
The full text of the letter is below:
March 18, 2014
The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
We are writing to urge you to fulfill the promise in your State of the Union address to make this a "year of action" and build upon the momentum of 2013 by signing an executive order banning federal contractors from engaging in employment discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans. As you have said before, "now is the time to end this kind of discrimination, not enable it."
As we continue to work towards final passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) with strong bipartisan support, we urge you to take action now to protection millions of workers across the country from the threat of discrimination simply because of who they are or who they love. We are committed to doing all that we can in Congress to get ENDA to your desk this year; however, there is no reason you cannot immediately act by taking this important step. This executive order would provide LGBT people with another avenue in the federal government they could turn to if they were the victim of employment discrimination by a federal contractor. When combined with ENDA, these non-discrimination protections would parallel those that have been in place for decades on the basis of race, sex and religion.
An executive order covering LGBT employees would be in line with a bipartisan, decades-long commitment to eradicating taxpayer-funded discrimination in the workplace. In 1941, President Roosevelt prohibited discrimination in defense contracts on the bases of race, creed, color, or national origin. In subsequent executive orders, Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson expanded these protections to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to discriminate.
In addition, most of the largest government contractors -- companies like Boeing, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin -- have LGBT non-discrimination policies in place. They adopted them because business leaders recognize that discrimination is bad for the bottom line.
Finally, time is of the essence. Even with an executive order in place, full implementation of these protections will require regulations to be developed and finalized, a process that will take many months, if not longer, to fully put in place.
Issuing an executive order prohibiting discrimination against LGBT workers in federal contracts would build on the significant progress for LGBT rights made during your time as President and would further your legacy as a champion for LGBT equality. We urge you to act now to prevent irrational, taxpayer-funded workplace discrimination against LGBT Americans.
Sincerely,
