Senator Feinstein and 41 Others Introduce Resolution to Prohibit Employment Discrimination in the U.S. Senate Based on Sexual Orientation
June 27, 2002

Washington, DC -- U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), along with 41 of her Senate colleagues, today introduced a resolution to prohibit employment discrimination in the U.S. Senate based on sexual orientation.

"Currently, at least 68 senators have written policies for their congressional offices indicating that sexual orientation is not a factor in their employment decisions," Senator Feinstein said. "This resolution will extend this policy to protect all of the Senate's employees against employment discrimination based on their sexual orientation -- rather than relying on a patchwork of protection that only covers some of the Senate's employees."

The resolution would amend the Standing Rules of the Senate by adding "sexual orientation" to "race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or state of physical handicap" in the anti-discrimination provisions governing the Senate's employment practices.

"By amending the current rule, this resolution would forbid any Senate member, officer or employee from terminating, refusing to hire, or otherwise discriminating against an individual with respect to promotion, compensation, or any other privilege of employment, on the basis of that individual's sexual orientation," Senator Feinstein said.

Senate employees currently have no recourse available to them should they become a victim of employment discrimination based on their sexual orientation. The resolution would give any Senate employee that encountered discrimination based on their sexual orientation the option of reporting it to the Senate Ethics Committee. The Ethics Committee could then investigate the claim and recommend discipline for any Senate member, officer or employee found to have violated the rule.

By approving the resolution, the Senate would join the Executive Branch, 294 Fortune 500 companies, 23 State governments and 252 local governments that have already prohibited workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The resolution is co-sponsored by Senators Arlen Specter, Tom Daschle, Christopher Dodd, Robert Torricelli, Russell Feingold, Mark Dayton, Debbie Stabenow, Richard Durbin, James Jeffords, Edward Kennedy, Daniel Inouye, Maria Cantwell, Patrick Leahy, Ron Wyden, Barbara Boxer, Jack Reed, Daniel Akaka, Tom Harkin, Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, Patty Murray, Jon Corzine, Jeff Bingaman, Barbara Mikulski, Evan Bayh, Carl Levin, Paul Wellstone, John Kerry, Susan Collins, Joseph Lieberman, Mary Landrieu, John Edwards, Gordon Smith, Joseph Biden, Charles Schumer, Lincoln Chafee, Paul Sarbanes, Herb Kohl, Jean Carhahan, Tom Carper, and Bill Nelson.

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