Bill That Would Have Protected LGBT People Passed When the Clock Ran Out, but Republicans Held the Clock Open to Defeat It

A bill that would have nullified an extreme anti-LGBT “religious freedom” amendment to a vital military spending bill was ultimately defeated Thursday morning in the House after it had already passed. Republican leaders strong-armed seven of their members and discarded procedures to both keep the clock running after voting had expired, and to protect them by not forcing them to walk up to the clerk to change their votes.

The bill that had passed then was defeated was sponsored by freshman Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York. It would have effectively nullified an amendment passed last Wednesday night that will gut and void President Barack Obama’s executive orders banning discrimination by federal contractors and their employees against LGBT workers.

As shown above, the measure had passed with the required 213 votes. But that’s when “Republican leaders urged their members to change their votes,” according to The Hill.

Here’s the before and after votes on striking anti-LGBT language from NDAA. They had it til some GOPers flipped. pic.twitter.com/yokSeFsyOO â€” Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) May 19, 2016

Republican leaders conspired to ensure the bill was defeated, by holding “the vote open as they pressured members to change sides. Infuriating Democrats, they let lawmakers switch their votes without walking to the well at the front of the chamber.”

Remarkable scene in House. Voters were just there to strike anti-LGBT provision from NDAA. GOP held vote open force GOPers to flip. â€” Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) May 19, 2016

Democrats immediately shouted, “Shame! Shame! Shame!” on the House floor.

At one point, when the clock ran out, as The Huffington Post’s Jennifer Bendery reports, the vote was 217-206, ensure passage of the Rep. Maloney’s pro-LGBT bill.

These seven House Republicans changed their votes to ensure the measure’s failure:

Reps. Jeff Denham (Calif.)

Darrell Issa (Calif.)

Bruce Poliquin (Maine)

David Valadao (Calif.)

Greg Walden (Ore.)

Mimi Walters (Calif.)

David Young (Iowa)

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan told reporters, “I don’t know the answer. I don’t even know,” when asked if his leadership team pressured members to change their votes, but then defended the outcome and the anti-LGBT amendment, saying, “This is federalism, the states should do this. The federal government shouldn’t stick its nose in its business.”

Here’s video:

House Dems chant "shame" during vote House Democrats chant "shame!" as GOP members abruptly change their votes in order to vote down an LGBT measure. READ MORE: http://hill.cm/nfSI2Il Publicado por The Hill en Jueves, 19 de mayo de 2016

UPDATE I: 5:12 PM EDT â€“

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