U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine joined more than 175 Senators and Representatives to write a letter to President Barack Obama calling on him to issue an executive order banning contractors from receiving federal government contracts unless they have a policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
“[We] urge you to fulfill the promise in your State of the Union address to make this a “year of action” and build upon the momentum of 2013 by signing an executive order banning federal contractors from engaging in employment discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Americans,” wrote Kaine and the other Signatories. “An executive order covering lgbt employees would be in line with a bipartisan, decades-long commitment to eradicating taxpayer-funded discrimination in the workplace.”
As Governor, Kaine campaigned against an amendment to the Virginia constitution that banned any legal recognition of same-sex relationships and signed an executive order to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. In 2013, Kaine joined the bipartisan amicus brief to the Supreme Court that details why the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and co-sponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which passed the Senate in November. ENDA is awaiting action in the House.
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