Congressman Pallone continues to fight for policies that reflect our American ideals of equality, fairness and justice, and works to ensure all Americans, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, are entitled to the same protections under the law.
Ending workpace discrimination
- Congressman Pallone led a letter along with 71 Members of Congress calling on President Obama to sign an executive order that would prohibit LGBT workplace discrimination by federal contractors by requiring that all contractors include sexual orientation and gender identity provisions in their non-discrimination statements.
- Congressman Pallone co-sponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would provide basic protections against workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. ENDA extends federal employment discrimination protections already in place for race, religion, sex, national origin, age and disability to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
- Congressman Pallone co-sponsored the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009, which provides a remedy for women and men who have been victims of pay discrimination. Today women still earn only 77 cents to the dollar of a man’s wages for the same job. This was signed into law by President Obama in 2010.
- Congressman Pallone was one of 67 Members to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) when it was first considered in 1996.
- Congressman Pallone co-sponsored the Respect for Marriage Act which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and restore the rights of all lawfully married couples, including same-sex couples, to receive the benefits of marriage under federal law.