Connect with us

Politics

White House asserts ENDA support, but some want more

Carney unable to enumerate ways in which Obama has pushed for bill

Published

on

Jay Carney, White House, gay news, Washington Blade
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney couldn't name one action the President has taken on behalf of ENDA (Blade file photo by Michael Key)

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney (Blade file photo by Michael Key)

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday couldn’t identify any actions President Obama has undertaken in the past year on behalf of the Employment Non-Discrimation Act, but reiterated he’ll work to build support for the bill.

Asked by the Washington Blade what Obama has done in the past year to build support for ENDA, Carney touted the president’s commitment to LGBT rights and support for the legislation — without naming any specific initiative to build support for it.

“The fact is, as you noted, we have long supported — the president has long supported an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and now it’s being introduced, and that is a good thing,” Carney said. “The administration will continue to work to build support for this important legislation because we believe that this is the right way, the right approach to take, because it is inclusive and that’s why we supported it then, that’s why we’re glad to see it being reintroduced.”

Pressed to identify specific actions Obama has undertaken on behalf of ENDA, Carney reiterated Obama’s support for the bill — which is set for introduction this week — and talked about the future.

“His support for this specific legislation, I think, is reflected in the fact that it’s being introduced, as you said, in the House and the Senate,” Carney said. “And he will work with like-minded lawmakers who support movement on this legislation to see it pass and ultimately signed into law. That’s how this process works. This is the approach the president thought was the right one to take and he’s encouraged by the progress being made.”

That’s more or less been the message since one year ago when LGBT advocates were informed by senior adviser Valerie Jarrett at a high-level White House meeting that President Obama wouldn’t issue at this time an executive order barring LGBT workplace discrimination among federal contractors. Instead, White House officials said they would work to build support for ENDA.

But beyond the messaging, no work from the White House to build support for ENDA has been evident to supporters of the bill as the administration has pushed for gun control and comprehensive immigration reform in the past year. A Reuters article published earlier this month quoted Jarrett as saying ENDA “is a priority,” but also reported that congressional aides see little evidence the White House is pushing to win support.

Tico Almeida, president of the LGBT group Freedom to Work, called on Obama to speak out himself on the importance of passing ENDA.

“It would be great to hear President Obama make the case for ENDA in his own words, explaining how LGBT workplace fairness creates benefits for both America’s businesses and LGBT employees,” Almeida said. “It would be helpful for the president and other members of the administration to start publicly challenging both chambers of Congress to bring ENDA to a vote this year, and the White House legislative team could start urging Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to find Senate floor time for an ENDA vote this summer.”

A partial transcript of the exchange between the Blade and Carney follows:

Washington Blade: A question on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which is going to be introduced in both House and Senate on Thursday. It’s been more than a year since you announced that in lieu of that LGBT non-discrimination executive order, you’d work to build support to pass legislation. In fact, it was on April 12 of last year that you said, “We plan to pursue a number of strategies to attain that goal.” Can you name one thing the President has done over the course of the past year to build support for LGBT non-discrimination workplace protections?

Jay Carney: I think the President’s record on LGBT issues and his commitment to rights for LGBT Americans is, I think, clear and demonstrated by his views and the actions that he has taken and the actions that his administration has taken at his direction. The fact is, as you noted, we have long supported — the President has long supported an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and now it’s being introduced, and that is a good thing. The administration will continue to work to build support for this important legislation because we believe that this is right way, the right approach to take, because it is inclusive and that’s why we supported it then, that’s why we’re glad to see it being reintroduced.

Blade: You keep saying you’re going to work to build support. Can you give me one thing — any initiative, any action — the President has undertaken to build support for this legislation?

Carney: Again, Chris, I think the President’s record on these issues has been pretty well documented. It’s clear his commitment to the rights of LGBT Americans is very clear. His support for this specific legislation, I think, is reflected in the fact that it’s being introduced, as you said, in the House and the Senate. And he will work with like-minded lawmakers who support movement on this legislation to see it pass and ultimately signed into law. That’s how this process works. This is the approach the President thought was the right one to take and he’s encouraged by the progress being made.

Blade: But do you have any initiative that the President has undertaken?

Carney: Again, I think I’ve answered the question.

Watch the video here:

Advertisement
FUND LGBTQ JOURNALISM
SIGN UP FOR E-BLAST

Politics

Future of PEPFAR in limbo as negotiations over Trump’s signature spending bill continue

Legislation expected to end funding for HIV/AIDS programs in the U.S. and abroad

Published

on

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key).

As negotiations over the massive spending cuts in President Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” continue, congressional Republicans are divided over whether to save federal funding for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

Senate leaders on Wednesday passed an amendment to protect the landmark global health initiative, which is credited with saving tens of millions of lives over more than two decades, but other critical HIV programs would be axed under the Senate and House versions of the bill.

Speaking with reporters at the White House Thursday, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought signaled Trump’s support for the amendment and the administration’s confidence that his signature legislative package will cross the finish line.

Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress narrowly passed their respective bills, and GOP leaders are now working in close coordination with the president to reconcile them and finalize additional changes through amendments to underlying rescissions packages.

PEPFAR may be a major stumbling block, however. Conservatives in the Senate tend to support international aid generally and global HIV initiatives specifically, while the House GOP caucus includes a group of hardline budget hawks who pushed hard for more cuts to offset the cost of the bill, which is nevertheless projected to add more than $3 trillion to the deficit.

The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” extends and builds upon tax cuts passed in 2017 that disproportionately benefit the wealthy, beefing up budgets for immigration enforcement and defense while cutting federal spending nearly everywhere else, especially on Medicaid.

As many as 10 million people are expected to lose their health care coverage, a disproportionate number of them LGBTQ.

Notwithstanding his position on the Senate Republicans’ amendment to save PEPFAR, Trump at the start of his second term froze funding for nearly all foreign aid programs, including HIV prevention and treatment initiatives overseas, leading to shortages of medicine and care.

Continue Reading

Congress

Congress passes ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ with massive cuts to health insurance coverage

Roughly 1.8 million LGBTQ Americans rely on Medicaid

Published

on

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

The “Big, Beautiful Bill” heads to President Donald Trump’s desk following the vote by the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday, which saw two nays from GOP members and unified opposition from the entire Democratic caucus.

To partially offset the cost of tax breaks that disproportionately favor the wealthy, the bill contains massive cuts to Medicaid and social safety net programs like food assistance for the poor while adding a projected $3.3 billion to the deficit.

Policy wise, the signature legislation of Trump’s second term rolls back clean energy tax credits passed under the Biden-Harris administration while beefing up funding for defense and border security.

Roughly 13 percent of LGBTQ adults in the U.S., about 1.8 million people, rely on Medicaid as their primary health insurer, compared to seven percent of non-LGBTQ adults, according to the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute think tank on sexual orientation and gender identities.

In total, the Congressional Budget Office estimates the cuts will cause more than 10 million Americans to lose their coverage under Medicaid and anywhere from three to five million to lose their care under Affordable Care Act marketplace plans.

A number of Republicans in the House and Senate opposed the bill reasoning that they might face political consequences for taking away access to healthcare for, particularly, low-income Americans who rely on Medicaid. Poorer voters flocked to Trump in last year’s presidential election, exit polls show.

A provision that would have blocked the use of federal funds to reimburse medical care for transgender youth was blocked by the Senate Parliamentarian and ultimately struck from the legislation — reportedly after the first trans member of Congress, U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) and the first lesbian U.S. senator, Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), shored up unified opposition to the proposal among Congressional Democrats.

Continue Reading

Congress

Ritchie Torres says he is unlikely to run for NY governor

One poll showed gay Democratic congressman nearly tied with Kathy Hochul

Published

on

U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Gay Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres of New York is unlikely to challenge New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in the state’s next gubernatorial race, he said during an appearance Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

“I’m unlikely to run for governor,” he said. ““I feel like the assault that we’ve seen on the social safety net in the Bronx is so unprecedented. It’s so overwhelming that I’m going to keep my focus on Washington, D.C.”

Torres and Hochul were nearly tied in a poll this spring of likely Democratic voters in New York City, fueling speculation that the congressman might run. A Siena College poll, however, found Hochul leading with a wider margin.

Back in D.C., the congressman and his colleagues are unified in their opposition to President Donald Trump’s signature legislation, the “Big Beautiful Bill,” which heads back to the House after passing the Senate by one vote this week.

To pay for tax cuts that disproportionately advantage the ultra-wealthy and large corporations, the president and Congressional Republicans have proposed massive cuts to Medicaid and other social programs.

A provision in the Senate version of the bill that would have blocked the use of federal funds to reimburse medical care for transgender youth was blocked by the Senate Parliamentarian and ultimately struck from the legislation, reportedly after pressure from transgender U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) and lesbian U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).

Torres on “Morning Joe” said, “The so-called Big Beautiful Bill represents a betrayal of the working people of America and nowhere more so than in the Bronx,” adding, “It’s going to destabilize every health care provider, every hospital.”

Continue Reading

Popular