On the recordNovember 4, 2013
today marks another step forward in the progress of the United States of America in making sure that all of our citizens are treated fairly and equitably under the law, that each citizen of this country will know he or she cannot be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, or national origin. That was all covered in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 1990 I was proud to stand at this very desk when we took another step forward when we said we were going to extend civil rights to cover people with disabilities. Today I stand here to mark another step forward when we will have a vote on proceeding to the debate to end discrimination in employment because of a person's sexual orientation. It is a huge step forward, one too long in coming. I was here in 1996 when we voted on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the bill that is now before the Senate. We lost by one vote--50 to 49. That was a dark day. We have been trying to get it before the Senate ever since, and we have finally done so. I am proud to say that we got it through the HELP Committee this summer on a strong bipartisan vote, and we now have it before the Senate. People should understand this is a momentous day in the development of our country, ensuring that every person is recognized for their individual worth and for what they contribute to society, not for the color of their skin or race or religion or national origin or whether they have a disability.…
