Posted on 11/05/2013 7:54:42 AM PST by Phillyred
WASHINGTON – The first openly-gay lawmaker elected in Pennsylvania, state Rep. Brian Sims, praised Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey for supporting a bill Monday night that would ban workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Sims, a Philadelphia Democrat, had particularly strong praise for Toomey, a Republican who is generally conservative on social issues but was one of seven Republicans to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), helping it move past a key procedural step and setting the stage for final Senate approval later this week.
“I have long believed that civil rights cannot be a one party issue. Sen. Casey has supported LGBT civil rights from nondiscrimination to marriage equality, and I am proud to see him continue to demonstrate that support tonight,” Sims said in a news release. “I am especially proud of Sen. Toomey who tonight confirmed to Americans across the nation that civil rights is not an issue of right and left, but an issue of right and wrong. Senator Toomey’s vote in support of ENDA shows that a conservative ideology and support for LGBT equality are not mutually exclusive.”
Toomey was the 61st senator to vote in favor of the measure, which needed 60 votes to clear a the procedural hurdle Monday night. He engaged in long discussions with the bill’s sponsors, casting his vote immediately after fellow Republican Sen. Rob Portman (R., Ohio) made the deciding vote.
Toomey, though, has not pledged to support final passage of the measure, which is expected to come up for a final Senate vote later this week. He plans to seek amendments to ensure exemptions for religious organizations. Democratic leaders were said to be working with Toomey to ensure that his amendments get an up-or-down vote. (Regardless of Senate passage, however, the bill is expected to run into a dead end in the Republican-controlled House.)
Gay-rights advocates have fought for this measure for nearly 20 years, but have never been able to push it into law. Monday’s vote was seen in some quarters as a sign of the political sea change on gay-rights issues. (A full write up on the vote and the bill is in this morning’s Inquirer, on Inquirer.com and here on Philly.com).
For Toomey, who has built his political career by focusing on fiscal issues – and who took a hard line on spending and federal debt during the recent government shutdown -- the vote Monday night was a second prominent example of the Republican moving toward the center on highly-charged cultural issues. In the spring he co-sponsored a plan to expand background checks on gun buyers – also winning praise from moderates and Democrats.
A perfect example of the need for term limits: THE SYSTEM CORRUPTS THEM FASTER THAN WE CAN VOTE THEM OUT.
I remember when this would have been the kiss of death for a political career.Too bad it isn’t now.
Santorum would not have supported this. What a dumb mistake people made. Oh well live with it. You stupidly bashed the best person for the job. I told you all not to be a spoiled brat because Santorum decided to support the incombent Senator. I guess you guys showed Santorum. Lol.
Yep. REPUBLICANS giving libs the very tools to attack and destroy Christianity. Does it even need to be said why I no longer have any trust whatsoever in the GOP brand?
Hopefully we can avoid “two term toomey”
POS Rhino!
He lost my vote with the attempted Manchin gun sellout. I suppose he felt he has little to lose.
This reminds me of Olympia Snowe allowing Obamacare get to the floor of the Senate. If Snowe had not given Max Baucus political cover (bi-partisan vote in committee),
OBAMACARE WOULD HAVE DIED IN COMMITTEE!!!!
Olympia Snowe, RINO TRAITOR
Their mothers must be so proud...
There is nothing RINO about supporting a bill that bans discrimination of anybody.
Toomey is not a conservative. This law is ridiculous.
Being a pervert is not a civil right issue..
Toomey didn't take Santorum's seat, he took Specter's. Casey holds Santorum's former seat. Santorum could've run to fill Specter's seat too, in theory. But he would've had to have been willing to run against Specter, since I believe Specter was in that race as a Democrat until he lost the primary to Sestak.
The big problem is I never particularly liked toomey because he was from my city I grew up and was Mayor for awhile. I was called a RINO many times trying to tell fellow FRiends that Toomey is not what they think he is. Unfortunately that are finding out the hard way.
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