David Cicilline, D-R.I., who introduced the House measure, said "every American deserves respect and dignity," and the Equality Act, if it became law, would "ensure that LGBTQ Americans can live lives free of discrimination."Â .
He said it was important to pass the legislation because many Americans thought the protections were already enshrined in law?The House passed a similar version of the bill in May 2019, but it died in the then-Republican-controlled Senate.The bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate, which is split 50-50 between Republicans and Democratic caucus members, with Vice President Kamala Harris in a tiebreaking roleChuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he would use his powers as majority leader to put the bill on the floor and would dare Republicans to vote against it, though he declined to say when he would bring the legislation up in the Senate.Â
More: The Equality Act with protections for LGBTQ Americans is up for a vote in the HouseTammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., who had been the first openly gay member of Congress when first elected to the House in 1999 and the first openly gay member of the Senate when elected in 2012, told reporters as a lawyer she'd seen firsthand how the law fell short in providing protections for her clients who faced discrimination
"It's time to end this kind of discrimination against the LGBTQ community," she saidClay County extended workplace protections to LGBTQ Americans, but groups such as the National Women's Law Center say the legislation would codify the court's decision and create explicit federal protections for LGBTQ Americans beyond the workplace.Â