WASHINGTON -- The House passed a massive National Defense Authorization Act late Wednesday, and tucked inside of it, a provision that would allow federal contractors to fire employees for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.
The language, slipped into the bill by Rep. Steve Russell (R-Okla.), would dismantle President Barack Obama's 2014 executive action that makes it illegal for government contractors to fire or harass employees based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. In its place, Russell's provision applies a broad exemption that would open the door to contractors discriminating against LGBT people based on that contractor's religious beliefs.
