An appropriations bill that would have included billions of dollars for maintaining and enhancing America’s ports, has been derailed in the US House of Representatives by the latest example of Washington politicking.
Passage of the water and energy spending bill should have been routine but became complicated by the inclusion of amendments pertaining to the hot issues of discrimination against LGBT people and transgender people.
Democrats inserted an amendment outlawing discrimination by federal contractors against people because of their sexual orientation. The amendment echoed a 2014 executive order made by President Barack Obama.
Some Republicans said the anti-discrimination amendment was a threat to religious liberty.
Republicans added an amendment defending North Carolina’s transgender bathroom law which requires people to use the public bathroom of the gender on their birth certificate. Democrats objected to that.
With objectors on both sided of the House, the bill failed by a vote of 305 to 112.
Quos Deos vult perdere, prius dementat.