Monday, November 4, 2013

ENDA Moves Forward For Substantive Vote, 61-30; Sen. McCain Taping Late Night Show In New York During Vote

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act ("ENDA") barely reached the 60 votes necessary in the U.S. Senate to advance to a substantive vote, falling one vote short.  

Arizona Senator John McCain (R-AZ) missed the vote after he decided to go to New York City to tape Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.  While it is true that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) did not announce the schedule for the ENDA vote until Halloween, it is unclear when McCain first scheduled the comedy appearance (to air tonight at 11:35pm on NBC stations in Arizona).  And, of course, the Senator could have appeared with Fallon by satellite.

McCain had been leaning towards voting against, but he was being lobbied hard - including by members of his family.  Here is an interview he did last Thursday on the subject.

Arizona's other Senator, Jeff Flake (R-AZ) voted against cloture this afternoon.

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