June 24, 1999 Statement on the Reintroduction of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act I am proud to join my colleagues Senators Kennedy and Jeffords and Congressmen Shays and Frank in reintroducing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and thereby reasserting the American ideals of equal opportunity and fair play. The underlying goal of this bill is the same as it has been for the previous incarnations of ENDA that we have introduced in the last several Congresses, which is to protect gay men and lesbians from discrimination in the workplace, and to uphold their right to be judged like any other American on their qualifications for the job. What is different today is the climate in which we are operating. The revolting murder of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming, followed by the similarly hateful killing of a gay man in Alabama, has, I believe, heightened the awareness of the American people to the fact that, as tolerant as we have become in so many ways, bigotry remains a real threat to homosexuals in this country, not just to their livelihoods but to their lives. These violent acts have dramatized the extreme consequences of the prejudice that motivates discrimination, and remind us of the price we all pay for intolerance, namely the cheapening of our common values and our common belief in the self-evident truth, expressed in the Declaration of Independence, that every American is endowed by our Creator with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. What is also different today is the recent experience of James Hormel, the business leader who President Clinton long ago nominated to be his ambassador to Luxembourg, and whose confirmation was blocked for no other reason than he is gay. The Hormel case adds another persuasive argument in support of ENDA, because it underscores the vulnerability of the average worker. Mr. HormelŐs opportunity to serve his country was saved by the personal intervention of the President of the United States. But as the victims of discrimination who are here with us can attest, there is no such thing as a recess appointment in the private sector. In fact, outside of 11 states, there are no laws to protect gay men and women from being denied a job or a promotion they deserve, or fired from a job they have earned, just because of their sexual orientation. This is unequivocally wrong. It was when we first introduced this legislation, and it remains so today. It runs counter to our constitutional grain. And it offends our most fundamental American values. We are better than that, and it is time to say so in law by finally passing ENDA. Thank you. - 30 -