doesn't that tell you something about how obviously right enda is? the debate that we are having in the senate today is about whether we should ensure that lgbt americans don't suffer discrimination in the workplace. i have long been a supporter of enda, and enacting it into law is something that we should have done a long time ago. in fact, 17 years ago it came within one vote of passing in the senate. making enda law will be the next significant step in the fight for equality for lgbt americans. after decades of struggle, we have achieved a number of huge victories in rapid succession. ending don't ask, don't tell. overturning the federal ban on same-sex marriage recognition. the achievement of marriage equality in more and more of our states, including my home state of minnesota. while we are debating enda in the senate today, equality in the workplace is in fact something we achieved in minnesota over two decades ago. in 19193, the minnesota state legislature amended our state's museum rights act to protect minnesota's workers from discrimination

and, of course, the topic before us today, we need to pass enda. the bill before the senate would be a major step forward for equality. i urge my colleagues to support the employment nondiscrimination act because protections against discrimination in the workplace need to be extended to all americans no matter their gender identity or sexual orientation. americans have many different views on sexual orientation and gender identity but i think we can all agree every person deserves to be treated with dignity in the workplace. in 29 states across the country, it is still legal to fire someone based on their sexual orientation. in 29 states, it is still legal to fire someone because they are gay. and currently there is no federal law prohibiting this from happening. that is why we need enda and why i'm a proud cosponsor of this bill. the employment nondiscrimination act will provide basic and necessary protections against workplace discrimination, protections just like the one that we've had in place in minnesota since 1993. enda will allow all americ

in 1986, enda came to this floor. an up-or-down vote on this bill was negotiated the same day the defense of marriage act, or what we call doma, would have such a vote. these votes happened on december 10, 1996. the defense of marriage bill passed. i was one of 14 senators to oppose it. 85 of my colleagues supported it and president clinton signed it into law. and as we all know now, what it essentially did was say that any gay couple that was legally could not access more than 1,100 federal rights that were accorded to married couples. and now some 14 states have legalized gay marriage, and just recently it looks like illinois is on its way to doing the same thing. enda failed by a single vote back then. that was a vote of 49-50. today things are very different but there's still a long way to go. in an historic decision? june, the supreme court struck down the core piece of the defense of marriage act but doma is not yet fully repealed and repealing it remains necessary. so in my view, the defense of marriage act mus

. >>> where will enda end up? >>> the start of this sunday morning in mid-november, we're thinking a lot about rights. the senate passed a bill thursday that would make it illegal to fire someone for being gay. whether it will actually become law is an open question, but the roots of this bill go back a lot farther than you might think, more on that in just a moment. democracy means every political office is open to anyone. and philadelphia last week, a member of the whig party was not only on the ballot, he won. he'll be here on the show, a realelected whig. we're excited about that. laws across country are making voting a lot harder. in texas, in addition to wendy davis, a man named jim wright was told he didn't have the correct paperwork to vote last week. used to be the speaker of the house. we'll be talking about that. also, secession. a new kind of secession, not from the united states, but from individual states. people who want to be americans but think they're trapped in the wrong state. there are now som

the religious liberty protections in enda aren't perfect. my amendment makes them better, and that's why i appreciate my colleagues giving this amendment the support it deserves. madam president, i'm looking forward to the passage of this legislation with this amendment, and again i appreciate the work of the senator from maine and others on this. i yield back my time. ms. collins: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from maine. ms. collins: madam president, i rise to commend the senator from ohio for bringing forth this very worthwhile initiative which the senate passed without dissent just about an hour or so ago. his amendment is a very important amendment. what it simply says is that if an organization is exempt from enda for religious reasons, then government cannot turn around and somehow retaliate against this employer based on his claiming or her claiming a legitimate religious exemption as provided by enda, and that means that if the business or organization is entitled to compete for certain grants or contracts from

enda, the employment nondiscrimination act. so, it's been 17 years. president -- ted kennedy was chair of the committee that brought it to the floor in 1996. was just, again, one vote shy of passage. in the meantime, in those 17 years, the attitudes in this country have changed dramatically. dramatically. about the rights of gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgendered americans. i think in a nutshell, the vast majority -- vast majority -- of americans believe that individuals ought to have the right to earn a living free from discrimination, to be judged on their performance in the workplace based on their talent, their ability and their qualifications. interestingly enough, since 1996, 17 states, including my state of iowa, have passed legislation that includes basic employment protections for all lgbt americans. i will use that -- that acronym or that -- those letters to explain lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered americans. 88% of fortune 500 businesses have included protections in their nondiscrimination policies. as have the majority of smal

what is the urge need for enda. >> you are right that business leaders led the way. congress is decades behind. before today there hadn't been a vote in the united states senate for 17 years. in that time, lag the time between senate votes, businesses have charged ahead. the policies are voluntary. there are bad apple managers at some branch offices that can't follow corporate policy. when sun is called epithets, when they are denight promotion, they -- denied promotion, they deserve a recourse, like the lat jeanos and women can go to the eoc, and federal court. lgdp americans deserve the right. >> according to the gao, the number of lawsuits filed in the state is low. how big of a problem is this? >> the argument that you've raised, and the gao report is one of our best tools in lobbying. freed to work has this meetings with the overwhelming majority of public senator offices. we use the report commissioned by the spop sore, the senators who gave the wonderful marks for the first time since his stroke. we used the gao report - it won't create a floodgate of litigati

it was a floor amendment during our consideration of enda in 2007. it is a bipartisan compromise supported by many religious organizations, including the presbyterian church, united methodist church, and the united synagogue for conservative judaism. over 40 religious organizations wrote to endhors bil endorse thh a letter that reads -- i quote -- "any claims that enda harms religious liberty are misplaced. enda broadly exempts from its scope houses of worship as well as religiously affiliated organizations. this exemption, which covers the same religious organizations already exempted from religious discrimination provisions of title 7 of the civil rights act of 1964, should ensure that religious freedom concerns don't hinder the passage of this critical legislation." i ask my colleagues to oppose this amendment and then join together on an historic day to vote in support of the employment nondiscrimination >> the amendment was defeated. the senate went on to pass a ban that would discrimination against gay and lesbian and transgender americans. it

now luckily this enda bill applies only to companies with 15 or more employees so you're safe for now 14 bigots moving and storage. (laughter) now folks, if you think, if you are's saying to yourself oh t won't affect my workplace, folks you're dead wrong. as the american family association warns, rest rooms and locker rooms could become landmines for disputes and disturbances. an anatomically male employee who claims a female gender identity might be able to demand access to the women's rest room. now folks it's already started here in new york city.x6 this is true, an all gender rest room symbol. look at this you got a guy, you got a girl, the next one over there is already sporting a boner and-- (laughter) and the one on this end is in some sort of crazy sex swing. no way i could pee in there. i would get stage fright. now folks it is a nightmare for employers. as the family research council counsels, enda would force religious business owners and workplaces such as christian book stores to accept as normal transvestite and drag queens. oh yeah. it is well-known that bette did lett

president, our fellow citizens need enda. i was here when enda was voted on so many years ago when it was a ted kennedy bill, and we department make it then, but i think we're going to make it now, because americans know that enda is the right thing to do. as a matter of fact, 80% of americans assume there already is a law prohibiting discrimination against this community. but more than half of americans still live in states where it's perfectly legal to fire a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender american just because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. so that's why we need this bill. there are many states where there is no protections, and this bill would make sure the protections are nationwide. 70% of the american public supports enda. according to "the washington post," public support ranges from a high of 81% in massachusetts to a low of 63% in mississippi. so it's clear that this support cuts across party affiliation and gender -- generational gaps. whether you're a democrat, a republican, an independent,

there's a part of the rnc said let's moderate on this, let's move forward on something like enda. the house representatives citing business interests as well as the outside conservative interest group heritage action, which has railed against this saying it would impose unfair e restraint on the individual liberty of businesses. >> luke, give us more details on the fact it would hurt businesses. what proof is being provided that that would be the case? are they talking about the bottom line? are they talking about litigation if there are accusations that these businesses would then have to fork over money to defend themselves? again, what proof of this? >> reporter: their argument is litigation, that this would bring businesses this unfair prosecution for possible violation of this legislation and that it needs to be narrower. this is way too broad, that people could sue for anything. if you look throughout history, tamron, these are the sort of same types of arguments brought against equal pay for women legislation, for minorities and having the ability to have equality in the wo

. >> leading him and others to lobby for the employment non-d discrimination act, known as enda. making it illegal to hire on the basis of sexual orientation and identity. in an email to supporters senator corey booker says: >> the obama administration along with 55 democratic senators support it. however, it would have many hurdles in the house where speak e-john boehner opposes the measure. a spokesperson for john boehner says he believes it is frivolous legislation and will cost jobs. john boehner and house republicans say existing measures provide protection from discrimination. >> if it doesn't pass we'll live to fight another day. it will pass eventually. the american people are changing. the country is challenging. >> the last time enda was put before the senate was 1996, when it lost by a vote. advocates say they are getting closer to its passage. >> current federal law prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race and national origin. it does not stop an employer from firing or refusing to hire workers because they are gay, bisexual or transgender or les bian. >> an

i'll put you on the spot like i put gregory on the spot, do you think in this congress that enda is going to end up passing? >> i think it is a long shot. but talking about the personal experiences, what i think you're going to see is lgbt advocates taking this back to the home states of those lawmakers who don't yet support it and trying to personalize it. bringing out someone who served openly in the military as gay or lesbian and being, like, look, they served openly but now that they're a civilian, they have to go back in the closet because they're worried they're going to be fired because they live in a state without these protections. i think that in part was why don't ask, don't tell repeal was so successful. because you saw these patriots who had served and who weren't able to do so openly tell their stories, and that's what they're going to be doing, going forward to try to make it hit home more for the members. >> the power of the personal example. in just a few minutes, we'll be joined live by a member of the whig party. a whig won an election last tuesday. this isn't your grea

but, fortunately, you encounter no such resistance to enda.ans, a solid majority answered a resounding yes, and that includes 56% of voers from your own party, one of whom happens to be the closest person to you. i believe you know this lady, senator. that's your wife, cindy, right after she signed onto the human rights campaigns petition asking you to support enda. before you cement your historical legacy on the question of equality, listen to me, your wife, the people you represent and then do what many of your republican colleagues won't -- listen to reason. then do what's right. sincerely, melissa. (vo) you are a business pro. maestro of project management. baron of the build-out. you need a permit... to be this awesome. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle... and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. (aaron) purrrfect. (vo) meee-ow, business pro. meee-ow. go national. go like a pro. ♪ ♪ if i was a flower growing wild and free ♪ ♪ all i'd want is yo

, two-thirds of the people in the country support enda.'s 56%, support enda. it's just some of the problem has been people don't think right now you can discriminate against gays and lesbians, but you can in 29 states and even more for transgendered people. so this is really important to do, whether we take care of it within the national guard, through a federal directive or the law that needs to happen. this is important oh, and i think our real barrier has been that most people assume it's in place because they have supported it and it makes common sense to not discriminate. >> chris, real fast. the state of texas has said it will not give spousal i.d. cards to same-sex couples. what can chuck hagel do to make texas and the other eight states change their ways? >> one of the issues that was raised when chris johnson from the "washington blade" asked about this was the fact that the federal government does fund a lot of the state national guard programs. and so there is that funding string they're going to be able to point to. and there i

and i ask to be recognized to speak on behalf of the passage of enda. the presiding officer: the senator is recognized. mr. markey: and, madam president, i have eight unanimous consent requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate. they have the approval of the majority and minority leaders, and i ask unanimous consent that these requests be agreed to and that these requests be printed in the record. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. markey: thank you. i rise today in support of equal treatment for all americans. the employee nondiscrimination act or enda is aimed at protecting all lesbians, gay, by sexual and transgender americans from workplace discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender. all americans deserve to be free from discrimination in the workplace and enda is a crucial step to ensuring equal treatment. i have been a cosponsor of the employee nondiscrimination act every time it was introduced in congress since the bill was first drafted in 1994. two years later, in 1996, i was one of only 67 m

in a statement, the family research council says, enda would transfer the workplace into an environment in which certain self identifications and conduct must be given special privileges by employers and in which any moral opposition would be expressed. it includes exemption for schools and churches caught in the middle, house speaker john boehner who says he is against enda on the grounds it will lead to more lawsuits and hurt small businesses. >> good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. thank you for being here. >> until boehner changes course, the white house and democrats will keep the pressure on. >> some of the objections that i have heard from members in the house are recommeminisce he want opponents of other civil rights legislation put forward and they were wrong them, and they are wrong now. this is the right thing to do. >> in a statement, president obama praised the senate while blasting house republicans for standtion in the way of what he calls historic legislation. mike viquera, the white house. >> this is how many americans would be protected. the pew center says about thre

in the articles of -- so you're not for enda but going to go ahead and go after the attorney general't defend it but the supreme court invalidated it anyway. thank you both. >> good to be with. >>> here's a new one to try on the significant other. maybe my smartphone made me do it. that's later. as a business owner, i'm constantly putting out fires. so i deserve a small business credit card with amazing rewards. with the spark cash card from capital one, i get 2% cash back on every purchase, every day. i break my back around here. finally someone's recognizing me with unlimited rewards! meetings start at 11, cindy. [ male announcer ] get the spark business card from capital one. choose 2% cash back or double miles on every purchase, every day. what's in your wallet? i need your timesheets, larry! but chantix helped me do it. i told my doctor i think i'm... i'm ready. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. i knew that i could smoke for the first 7 days. i knew that i wasn't putting nicotine back

overwhelming popular support, refusing to consider a vote on the employment nondiscrimination act or enda, which would add sexual identity to the list of discriminations prohibited by law. >> this legislation would pass by a nice margin in the house if the speaker would allow it. i can't understand what's doing on in the house of representatives. >> neither can i. republican senator susan collins, a co-sponsor of the bill said her constituents were often shocked when they learned no such federal nondiscrimination law existed. they will continue to be shocked. earlier this month the increasingly radical group heritage action called the legislation unnecessary and warned house republicans it would be scoring their vote saying that the bill would actually do harm to many american civil liberties and religious freedoms. it is a strange, twisted piece of logic but nonetheless echoed hours ago by indiana senator dan coats. >> i discourage discrimination of any kind, individuals or institutions for their faith and values. i feel it's vital for this body to stand up for our country's long stand i

and i'm wondering, the senate is going to do its first test vote on enda.he question is will it -- what will happen in the house? what do you think the prospects are in the house? >> let me just say on that subject, as with shutting down government as opening it up as with the immigration bill as with 95% of -- at least 95% of the democrats are on the legislation and will vote for the legislation. so we only need 10% of the republicans with 95% of the democrats to pass enda in the house. on so many pieces of legislation, overwhelming democratic votes are there for background checks and the gun violence issue. immigration. >> right. >> and opening government and the rest. so we just need a small number of republicans. if these bills were brought to the floor, they would pass. we have five republicans on the enda bill. we have 193 of which five are problems. then we have ten more votes in addition to that on the democratic side. so all we need is maybe 20 republicans and we can pass the bill. >> this point that you make about this question as to -- i think th

very avid ireland disguised noone in the finance minister shyster banks are no good next and then enda kenny the current. change shock. you say that word to shock teach shock which is prime minister yeah it's a leader it's exercise it has transitions the leader you know it was a leader roughly said it's as leaders into leach but what kind of name is end it is that where you say i said this kind of weird thing is called and you know what i'm not the new hashtag no you know what the hashtag and the and and i like what an independent and put it and then put it into into place so here's a guy who's mostly representing his people yes but he's represents shysters banks there's a terrorist financial terrorist oh how did that happen you know. what i think actually you know there is no democracy not at the moment you have a gang of four who actually make hard decisions they're independent becoming a four would be and the county michael noonan pass represents and him and getting more and some of these are very good traffic and new years of experience in the private sector zero qualifications tea

we have 56% of republicans supportive of enda right now, far ahead whereof the united states congress i only wish 56% of republicans in the house and senate supported this legislation. it would make my job easier. >> brown: gregory angelo, peter sprilg, thank you both very much. >> thank you, jeff. >> ifill: next, the second of our two reports on the movement to raise the minimum wage to what some say should be a "living wage." last night, hari sreenivasan chronicled the struggles of a fast-food worker in new york supporting a family on $8 an hour. tonight, we go to a seattle suburb where voters are deciding today whether to raise the minimum wage to nearly twice that much. the newshour's economics correspondent, paul solman, has the story, part of his coverage on "making sense of financial news." >> do we want living wages for seatac workers? >> yes! >> reporter: the country's latest living wage initiative: a $15-an-hour floor for workers in burgeoning seatac, washington-- population 25,000-- named after and built up around the seattle- tacoma airport located there. labor on one side

i want to start with enda because obviously we know it passed in the senate.f is it could pass in the house except john boehner is going to play a little trick like he did with the continuing resolution and just not bring it to the floor. and the thing that strikes me is the gop just does not get they are on the wrong side of history on this one. >> it's a shame. you know, i get to live my dream out by having my dream job basically. so many transpeople are denied that opportunity. i just met a young transwoman in kansas city, missouri, this week who got up and told us a story about how she lost her job when she decided to transition on her job. she has no legal recourse. and that is really fundamentally un-american. and the pain really that she expressed of not only being, you know, fired but then just feeling who she is is not really accepted in this culture. and i think the big piece that so often it's still socially acceptable to make fun of, to ridicule transgender people. we need to begin to make a culture where that's not acceptable, where that's not oka

billion euro by europe but it's their combined emotion that we're putting down at the door because enda kenny and michael owen have stated over and over again that they have never asked for a bank that's right up front that never even asked for it next next think about this now they're never even asked for us they're going to europe is ok negotiations and they haven't even asked so we're putting down a motion of the deed to take the group on our behalf putting our motion in the door asking to go discover and to ask e.c.b. for permission to bargain their meaning for missing or bonds doesn't know headed and our sense of banks to commission up was money that we were borrowing every year to buy would be never a year to destroy. the pay back does you know these notes but knew when to put a stroke in february to noon and knew the news they define as mysteries occur until the finance minister but he put a stroke i mean it was not a four stroke he has put it since it became a position and he put the stroke whereby you know he's told us people we've paid off the bonds like on the bombs or you kn

sixty billion euro by europe but it's their combined emotion that we're putting don't it on because enda kenny and michael owen have stated over and over again that they have never asked for a bank that's right up front that never even asked for it next next think about this now they're never even asked for us they're going to europe is open negotiations and they haven't even asked so we're putting down and motion of that the detective group on our behalf i think of a motion in the door asking to go of discovery and to ask the c.b. for permission to burn their meaning for missing or bonds doesn't know headed into our central bank to commission up was money that we were borrowing every year to buy would been endeavoring to destroy. the pay back deuce you know these notes but knew when to put a stroke in fabric noonan knew the news they defined his mysteries the current is still the finance minister yet but he put a stroke i mean it was not a four stroke he has put it since it became a position and he put the stroke whereby you know he's told us people we've paid off the bonds are gone the

area have an ireland disguised noon in the finance minister shyster banks are no good next and then enda kenny the current. change shock. i say that word to shock teach shock which is prime minister yeah it's a leader it's actually times he has to say she was the leader you know it was a leader rather he said it said as leaders into leach but what kind of name is end it is that where you think i was kind of weird yes. and you know but what i'm i've sat there and you have no you know what the hashtag and the and and i like what an independent and put it into and then i put it into into place so here's a guy who's mostly representing his people yes but he's represents shysters banks there's a terrorist financial terrorist oh how did that happen you know. what i think actually you know there is no democracy not to move you have a gang of four who actually make hard decisions they're independent becoming a four would be and the county michael noonan patch represents and in getting more and some of these are very good traffic and to be eighty years of experience in the private sector zero qua

. >>> senate expected to take a vote on the employment nondiscrimination act referred to as enda, workplace on age, religion, despite last two decades similar legislation for sexual orientation and gender identity never successful. is congress ready to take that step? senator tammy baldwin of wisconsin, first openly gay member of the senate. senator, we appreciate joining us. i want to ask you, final vote to pass this legislation. obviously this seems at this point to remain an uphill climb specifically in the house. so what do you say directly to speaker boehner whose own spokesperson says, and here are the exact words, the speaker believes this legislation will increase frivolous litigation and cost american jobs, especially small business jobs. >> what i would say to speaker boehner is this is about america's core and fundamental values, freedom, fairness and opportunity. it's so much in the american tradition that people be judged by their work ethic, by their talents, by the skills that qualify them for a job rather than sexual orientation or gender identity. that's what i would say on

that very strong outside conservative group which said they would score the vote if you voted for enda, you would be infringing on the individual liberties of businesses to carry out how they want to carry out their practices. this is something that will face a death in the house gop confidence, much like a lot of these controversial bills have come out of the senate, things like immigration. what's very interesting tamron. back in 2007, this passed the house with 35 republican votes. republican charlie dent of pennsylvania, a moderate said he wished if -- go forward on house floor because it would get republican votes, maybe not enough to pass but an issue where you're saying, 2012 the rnc said this making ourselves more viable to young americans. they are going to throw a wet blanket on it. >> if the house proves to be a roadblock again, what has the house said regarding an executive order? >> reporter: regarding executive order, that will be interesting to see. i haven't covered the white house aspect with that so much, more involved with congress. you would hear an outcry from the

potential votes on enda and the minimum wage. sunday forecasters today, jonathan capehart.kie kucinich. thanks to you both for joining me today. >> thanks, karen. >> i want to start with you, jonathan. you've got chris christie. he's looking to 2016 even if he won't admit he's talking to 2016. it seems as though there's this dynamic if you listen to what he said and others said. there's this inside/outside washington, i'm not of washington. then you've got the sort of sarah palin, ted cruz sort of establishment, nonestablishment dynamic. what's going on with the gop? >> i wish i knew. i think a lot of people within the gop wish they knew what was going on. look, chris christie is -- he is an outsider by washington standards. he's governor. he's clearly outside of washington. he's actually getting things done. they're not getting anything done in washington. yet he's also someone who is -- he is a conservative. but by the republican party standards right now, he can be viewed as a moderate. and someone as we saw by his landslide election in new jersey, a republican who democ