Nevada Sen. Dean Heller said Monday he will provide a key Republican vote to move forward legislation that prohibits firms from discriminating in hiring and employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Mr. Heller said he decided to back the Employment Non-Discrimination Act after listening to his constituents.
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Voting for the bill, he said, is “the right thing to do.”
“This legislation raises the federal standards to match what we have come to expect in Nevada, which is that discrimination must not be tolerated under any circumstance,” Mr. Heller said.
His vote could be key, since the Democratic-controlled chamber is trying this week to gather 60 votes to end debate and bring the measure to the floor for an up-or-down vote. At least five Republican votes are expected to be needed to advance the legislation.
President Obama made an appeal to pass the bill in a Monday op-ed article published by The Huffington Post.
