Jeff Merkley

This bill, Senate Bill 1852, the Spouses of Heroes Education Act, represents a small step to help Gold Star spouses reclaim some of that potential.

Let us provide the same opportunity to our Gold Star spouses as we provide to the children to help the spouses restore a financial foundation for their families and take control of their futures.

I applaud their efforts, Bill Nelson's effort to create a veterans conservative corps.

Tremendously important that there be the opportunity for employment and a structured life when folks return.

It is time now to say to all Americans no matter who you are, no matter your sexual identity, your gender identity, if you are willing to work hard, if you are willing to contribute to society, then you are important to us.

This discrimination 'has no place in our society'.

This discrimination is absolutely wrong. It is morally wrong and we must end it.

Because State after State has wrestled with these boundaries and worked it out.

Let us not lose sight as we wrestle over clauses that raise questions about what is a religious association, the courts have worked that out.

I do think that the way that this particular statute or proposed statute is crafted has been to address a major concern, which is to create a new list of uncertainties.

I think, the perspective Mr. Bagenstos has presented is very much in line with all of the legal efforts to create significant and broad exemptions for these organizations.

Thirty-seven religious organizations on that list, and thank you for putting it into the record.

We wrestled with defining the boundaries of religious exemption. It seems to have worked very well in that I have never heard a single complaint in the 5 years since.

There are some who have criticized ENDA saying that it would force businesses to create a quota system in order to, if you will, protect themselves. We have not seen that in Oregon, that concern did not materialize.

I have not heard any businesses come back to the State legislature or come back to those of us who were involved at the time in expressing a concern that this created a flood of lawsuits because it has not been found.

We simply should not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or sexual identity, period.

Thank you very much.

It is time to expand fundamental fairness to all Americans, and that is exactly what this bill does.

I also want to recognize the indispensable role that the late Senator Ted Kennedy played on this issue.

ENDA is good for business, good for our employees, and our communities.

I really appreciate your holding a hearing on this issue, which is so critical for LGBT Americans.

This is not, nor should it be, a democratic or republican issue.

It is a matter of fundamental fairness. It is who we are as Americans.

I would say of course they have an advantage. They have taxpayer-insured deposits and access to the discount window.

But it would be if deposits were diverted into hedge fund investing rather than making loans to small businesses.