Esty Applauds Removal of Anti-LGBTQ Provision from Defense Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) today praised the news that the final 2017 National Defense Authorization Act has been revised to eliminate a provision that would have expressly permitted federal contractors subsidized by U.S. taxpayers to engage in workplace discrimination against LGBTQ people.

Specifically, the anti-LGBTQ language, which was initially added to the bill as an amendment by Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK), would have prevented the enforcement of President Obama’s landmark executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Esty, a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus, was one of 89 House Democrats to write to leaders of the House Armed Services Committee calling for the removal of the anti-LGBTQ language from the NDAA. A vote on a revised, bipartisan 2017 NDAA, which does not include the discriminatory Russell language, is expected in the House on Friday.

“Defeating this shameful, misguided effort was truly a hard-fought victory,” Esty said. “It wouldn’t have happened without thousands of Americans across the country making their voices heard and sending a loud and clear message that our nation won’t accept discrimination.

“The Russell amendment would have jeopardized the livelihood and dignity of hardworking LGBTQ folks throughout the country. It had no place in a bill whose stated purpose is to promote national security or, for that matter, in any legislation that purports to uphold our American values. The defeat of this amendment is a victory for civil rights – and it serves as clear evidence that, should Congress try again in the future to chip away at our hard-fought progress toward equality, the American people will not stand for it.”

When a version of NDAA that included the Russell provision came to the floor on May 19, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) offered an amendment to strip the anti-LGBTQ language from the bill. As time for voting on Maloney’s amendment expired, it appeared set to pass. But after the clock struck 0:00, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and other Republican leaders improperly held the vote open  until they were able to persuade seven Republicans to switch their votes from Yea to Nay, and the Maloney amendment was defeated 213-212.

The anti-LGBTQ language – and the Republican leaders’ floor tactics – led to fierce pushback from civil rights groups and from the public. A petition calling for the removal of the language reached over 250,000 signatures.

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