WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) led a letter signed by 34 Members of Congress urging President Obama not to include special exemptions for religious organizations in his planned executive order regarding workplace protections for LGBT Americans employed by federal contractors. The letter comes in response to faith groups calling on President Obama to create exemptions that would allow an employee to be fired based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“We set a dangerous precedent if we exempt religious organizations from these workplace protections,” said Congressman Pallone. “The federal government has an obligation to put a complete stop to unfair and discriminatory practices. I am pleased to lead my colleagues in calling for an executive order that ensures all Americans are afforded the same protections in the workplace.”
Pallone, a long-time advocate for LGBT equality, has been a leader on this issue for years, having held a Congressional briefing in 2012 examining the need to require federal contractors to have sexual orientation and gender identity anti-discrimination policies. He has also led letters to President Obama urging executive action on the issue for the last three years.
The full text of the letter is below:
July 15, 2014
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
Like so many Americans, we were proud of your commitment to sign an Executive Order banning federal contractors from discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans. We urge you to sign this Executive Order as soon as possible without exemptions, ensuring that it will protect every American who works with the Federal Government. We believe that this is a critical step towards ensuring that members of the LGBT community receive the same protections afforded to all citizens. What matters in the workplace is how you do your job—not who you are. No one in this country should be subjected to discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
In 2014, it is absolutely unconscionable that a federal contract worker could be fired on the basis of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity without legal repercussions. Thanks to your upcoming Executive Order, this discrimination will be a thing of the past. The federal government has a moral responsibility to ensure that all citizens are treated equally and with dignity.
Like many people of faith, we believe that a fully inclusive America benefits us all. However, we are disheartened to hear that some faith organizations wish to overturn this progress and continue this legalized discrimination. Creating a religious exemption for workplace discrimination would set a dangerous precedent for employees around the country. With this exemption, employers would be able to fire or refuse to hire someone based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. Your action at the federal level must put a complete stop to these unfair and discriminatory workplace practices.
We thank you for considering our request. Thank you again for your leadership on advancing LGBT equality, and we look forward to seeing your final Executive Order.
Sincerely,
FRANK PALLONE, JR. AMI BERA, M.D.
Member of Congress Member of Congress
ROBERT BRADY JULIA BROWNLEY
Member of Congress Member of Congress
TONY CARDENAS EMANUEL CLEAVER
Member of Congress Member of Congress
STEVE COHEN JOHN CONYERS, JR.
Member of Congress Member of Congress
SUSAN DAVIS KEITH ELLISON
Member of Congress Member of Congress
LOIS FRANKEL JOHN GARAMENDI
Member of Congress Member of Congress
ALAN GRAYSON BRIAN HIGGINS
Member of Congress Member of Congress
STEVEN HORSFORD RICK LARSEN
Member of Congress Member of Congress
JOHN LEWIS JIM MCDERMOTT
Member of Congress Member of Congress
JAMES MCGOVERN JIM MORAN
Member of Congress Member of Congress
GLORIA NEGRETE MCLEOD DONALD M. PAYNE, JR.
Member of Congress Member of Congress
CHARLES B. RANGEL LUCILLE ROYAL-ALLARD
Member of Congress Member of Congress
LINDA SANCHEZ JOHN P. SARBANES
Member of Congress Member of Congress
ALLYSON SCHWARTZ BOBBY SCOTT
Member of Congress Member of Congress
ALBIO SIRES MIKE THOMPSON
Member of Congress Member of Congress
JOHN F. TIERNEY DINA TITUS
Member of Congress Member of Congress
JUAN VARGAS HENRY WAXMAN
Member of Congress Member of Congress
Showing posts with label members of Congress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label members of Congress. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
HOLT: INVESTING IN RESEARCH AND INNOVATION CAN SUSTAIN LONG TERM ECONOMIC GROWTH
Makes Remarks at Roundtable on Innovation and Competitiveness at Princeton
PRINCETON - At a roundtable discussion today with Speaker Nancy Pelosi, other Congressional leaders, and national leaders in the science and technology community, Rep. Rush Holt argued that failure to invest in physical sciences and energy research will continue to impair the nation’s economic health. Holt hosted the roundtable, along with Princeton University President Shirley M. Tilghman, to begin an ongoing dialogue about how to ensure our nation’s leadership in basic research and innovation. Holt argued that innovation and infrastructure are necessary for sustained economic growth.
"We cannot view research and development as a luxury to be invested in only during good economic times. Rather, it is vital to our economic growth and quality of life," Holt said. “"The federal government needs to be a leading force along with the private sector.”"
"A critical step to jump-starting our economy and restoring economic security for the American people is a commitment to innovation that ensures America’s competitiveness in the 21st century global economy,”" Speaker Pelosi said. “"With an Innovation Agenda that invests in our intellectual infrastructure the 111th Congress will work to stimulate the research and development that drives economic growth.”"
Said President Tilghman: “"I salute Speaker Pelosi, our own Congressman Rush Holt, and other members of Congress who have understood the importance of expanding our national investment in the kind of long term basic research -- in the physical sciences as well as in the life sciences -- that historically has fueled American competitiveness, innovation and economic growth. Our roundtable discussions provided compelling evidence that it is imperative to firmly commit to doubling the federal investment in the agencies that support basic research in the physical sciences. If we fail to make this investment, we not only risk falling behind other countries, but we also fail to produce the seed corn that is essential to our long-term prosperity. I believe it is also time to commit to a very substantial increase in the federal investment in energy research. This is the right thing to do and the right time to do it, for reasons that are economic and environmental, and I am confident that this is an investment that would be repaid many times over.”"
Today's roundtable on U.S. competitiveness provided an opportunity for members of Congress to discuss with industry leaders, university presidents, federal government officials, and research scientists the necessary steps for maintaining U.S. scientific leadership.
Other participating members of Congress included Bart Gordon, Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology; John Larson, Chairman, U.S. House Democratic Caucus for the 111th Congress; Edward Markey, Chairman, U.S. House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming; and George Miller, Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor. Other participants included Norman Augustine, Former President and CEO, Lockheed Martin; Dr. Craig Barrett, Chairman of the Board, Intel Corporation; Dr. Robert Berdahl, President, Association of American Universities; Dr. Bruce Bursten, President, American Chemical Society; Dr. Francis Collins, Former Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute; Professor Phillip Griffiths, School of Mathematics, The Institute for Advanced Studies; Professor John Holdren, Director of the Program on Science, Technology, and Public Policy, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; President Shirley Ann Jackson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Dr. Peter Kim, President, Merck Research Laboratories; Dr. Thomas Mason, Director, Oak Ridge National Lab; Professor Michael Oppenheimer, Woodrow Wilson School and Department of Geosciences, Princeton University; Professor Jeremiah Ostriker, Director of the Princeton Institute for Computational Science and Engineering (PICSciE); Professor Harold Shapiro, President Emeritus and Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Princeton University; Dr. Charles Vest, President, National Academy of Engineering and Vice Chair, National Research Council; Professor Maria Zuber, Head of the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"What we learned today from the discussion with these distinguished leaders will start a conversation that we will take back to Washington," Holt added. “"This discussion highlighted the importance of our innovation infrastructure to ensure American competitiveness in the long-term. I look forward to working with my colleagues on ways to strengthen that innovation infrastructure in the future.”"
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