Washington, D.C. — Early yesterday, the House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, that would grant a broad exemption for religious-affiliated federal contractors to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or LGBT, workers. The amendment effectively rescinds aspects of workplace protections that are presently afforded to roughly 28 million workers.
Winnie Stachelberg, Executive Vice President of External Affairs at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Despite the national outcry in response to anti-LGBT bills across the country, extreme elements of the Republican caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives are now inexplicably playing politics with our national security in an attempt to undermine existing workplace protections for millions of Americans. Taxpayer funds should never subsidize discrimination. No federal contractor should be allowed to fire an LGBT worker simply because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. It is that simple.
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For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Sally Tucker at [email protected] or 202.481.8103.
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