Senate May Hear ENDA By Next Week

The Senate could vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act as early as next week, the Huffington Post reports.

According to the office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), when the Senate convened Monday afternoon, Reid, who has backed the measure since 1997, announced that he will bring up ENDA during the current work period, which ends before Thanksgiving. If passed, ENDA would end anti-LGBT discrimination in the workplace in all states.

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced ENDA into the Senate Aug. 26. The bill currently has 54 sponsors, almost every Democratic senator has signed on the measure, except Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.).

"I thank Majority Leader Reid for committing to bring ENDA to the floor this work period," Merkley told the to The Huffington Post. "Americans understand that it's time to make sure our LGBT friends and family are treated fairly and have the same opportunities. Now it's time for our laws to catch up. People should be judged at work on their ability to do the job, period."

There are currently only two Republican senator co-sponsors: Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.). But, as HuffPost reports, ENDA supporters that other Republican senators, like John McCain (R-Ariz.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and more will back the measure.

ENDA has been reintroduced in Congress a number of times but has not had a vote on the House or Senate floor since 2007, HuffPost reports. ENDA will probably not pass through the House since it is currently controlled by Republicans.