Rob Andrews: “I want to emphasize a point of agreement and a point of disagreement: There is a broad and growing agreement that…”

“I want to emphasize a point of agreement and a point of disagreement: There is a broad and growing agreement that members of the transgendered community should receive the full protection of the Federal law, and many of us are committed to work to achieve that day as soon as we possibly can. But there is a strong point of disagreement that I have heard from the minority side about the procedure on which we are taking up this bill. We had a vigorous debate in the full committee about this bill and three concerns were raised. One was the issue of the transgendered community, and Ms. Baldwin has in order an amendment, which she will decide the disposition of, so that issue can be raised. The second is the scope of the religious exemption, which my friends vigorously debated, and Mr. Miller and Mr. Stupak's manager's amendment raises that very same issue, and there will be a debate and there will be a disposition. Finally, there was some discussion as to the impact of this bill on the question of the definition of marriage, and the amendment of Mr. Miller and Mr. Stupak will make in order a debate and a disposition of that issue as well.”