Whenda ENDA?
Filed by: Nan Hunter
December 9, 2009 5:30 PM
http://www.bilerico.com/2009/12/whenda_enda.phpThe joint statement issued last week by all the major lgbt rights organizations designed to generate alarm about the delay in ENDA should be heeded. ENDA is over for 2009. Why? Not because members of Congress are lazy or dismissive, but because the reality of tough issues is hitting the fan. ENDA is not in danger at this point, but the moment of pushback has come.
The next step in the process of enactment is for the House Ed and Labor Committee, which held a hearing on ENDA in September, to go through the "mark-up" process. This means that the language of ENDA will be revised from its original version at the time it was introduced. The bill in its revised, marked-up form will go to the committee, where adoption is essentially certain. (House Ed and Labor is probably the farthest left committee in Congress.)
Additional changes can be adopted by the committee during its mark-up session, but if the staff and leadership have done their homework, that won't happen. Before the bill goes through the committee vote, the necessary revisions will have been made to assure not just a majority vote in committee, but also to guarantee the bill's passage in the full House.
