Senate Approves Ayotte Amendment Strengthening Religious Liberty Protections in ENDA

Press Release

The United States Senate today approved an amendment that U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) helped introduce that strengthens protections in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) for religious institutions. Ayotte introduced the amendment with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), and it was approved by voice vote.

"I firmly believe that people should be judged based on the quality of their work. Discrimination has no place in the workplace," said Senator Ayotte. "ENDA includes important protections for religious institutions, and I was pleased to work with members on both sides of the aisle to strengthen those protections by passing an amendment that will help ensure that religious organizations cannot be retaliated against for exercising their religious freedoms."

The amendment Ayotte helped author ensures that the government cannot penalize a religious employer because it qualifies as exempt from the non-discrimination requirements of ENDA. The measure protects religious institutions from adverse action by the government on the basis of adhering to its religious tenets. In practical terms, the government may not use activities protected by the religious exemption as a basis to deny a religious institution a government grant or tax-exempt status or any other benefit that may be conferred by the government.

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