TG Rights Champion Retires from Congress

Jeopardy Champion, Champion of Transgender rights Rush Holt announces Retirement.

Rush Holt

It was with no anticipation and no warning that eight term Congressman Rush Holt (NJ-12) announced that he would not seek a ninth term. Holt has long been known as a policy wonk in Congress, in part due to his background as a scientist. He has made several appearances on the game show Jeopardy! and famously beat IBM supercomputer “Watson.” In the 1970s, he was a five-time winner of the show.

Holt was elected to Congress in 1998 in a very competitive district. After surviving some tough races early on, he handily won re-election to his eighth term in 2012 with 69 percent of the vote.

Prior to serving in Congress, Holt was the assistant director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. For those living in his 12th District which does include Princeton, NJ, it is quite common to see his supporters driving around with bumper stickers saying “My Congressman IS a rocket scientist!”

Holt is the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources. From 2007 to 2010, Holt was the Chairman of the Select Intelligence Oversight Panel. “Intelligence” in the House of Representatives actually meant something in those days.

For Transgender Americans it was his service on the Committee on Education and the Workforce (formerly known as The House Education and Labor Committee) that has particular relevance and impact.

A brief bit of history is in order. On April 24, 2007 members of Congress introduced HR 2015 the first version of The Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA) that included discrimination prohibitions on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity. Having the words “gender identity” means this legislation was transgender inclusive. History will record that this inclusive version of ENDA died in Committee with 185 sponsors and that on September 27, 2007 when prime sponsor Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) made a second attempt at moving the bill through, HR. 3685, this time without the provisions protecting transgender workers from discrimination (nicknamed SPLENDA for being a light version or imitation of the real bill).

Did Barney Frank go to the original sponsors of the trans-inclusive ENDA when he with Speaker Pelosi decided to kill the bill and introduce and push a “gay only” ENDA. Evidently not. Congressman Holt actually called me from the Congressional Chamber to inform me of Frank’s divisive and foolish action and that he was angered and prepared to help lead the fight for transgender inclusion. He joined with Tammy Baldwin the “out” lesbian Congresswoman who did delay the inevitable for several weeks.

However on October 18, The House Education and Labor Committee passed a version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that protects only sexual orientation and not gender identity. The bill passed the committee with the support of 23 of 27 Democrats and 4 of 22 Republicans. The Democrats voting “no” did so because it did not include protection for transgender persons. They were Rush Holt (New Jersey), Yvette Clarke (New York), Linda Sanchez (California), and Dennis Kucinich (Ohio).

Rush Holt continued to fight for trans inclusion and you can watch him speak on the floor on November 7, 2007. I was proud as he mentioned the organization of which I was President and another for which I was Vice-Chair.

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On November 7, 2007 the House passed this non-inclusive ENDA by a vote of 235 to 184. The Senate version was never taken up or referred to a Committee, due to the exclusion of gender identity from Rep. Frank’s bill (We have to thank people like the late Senator Lautenberg of New Jersey who stated that he would only support an ENDA that was trans inclusive) and the acknowledged fact that President George W Bush had expressly stated that he would veto any ENDA bill thus making it an exercise in futility.

Rush Holt again voted “NO” to this “bad” ENDA, and instead of getting extra points from the Human Rights Campaign, HRC, the LGBt group that scores Washington legislators for their “equality votes,” they actually deducted points in favor of giving points to the likes of tea party favorite Paul Ryan who voted for that non inclusive bill. Crazy, huh?

Rush is a true Champion of LGBT rights and is a founding member of the Equality Caucus and has actively worked with them to advance the rights of LBGT individuals in the United States and around the globe.

Past Accomplishments on Civil Rights

• Helped end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
• Original co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, H.R. 3567, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and ensure respect for State regulation of marriage.
• Co-sponsor and strong supporter of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that provides employment protections for sexual orientation as well as gender identity.
• Original co-sponsor of Uniting American Families Act.
• Has and will continue to oppose such attempts to amend the Constitution to prevent LGBT couples from marrying.
• With Sen. Frank Lautenberg, wrote the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act to require colleges and universities to protect students from harassment.
• Original co-sponsor of the Student Non-Discrimination Act.
• Original co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act which is about restoring balance to the employer-employee relationship.
• Wrote legislation to ban the use of federal funds for ethnic or religious profiling.
• Proud member of Garden State Equality’s Equality Hall of Fame. (I was honored to make that presentation to him )

Rush Holt, the “rocket scientist,” is also humble, down to earth and a people person. For transpeople being included and empowered, this was a no-brainer, he got it right away! He has had great staff that complemented him and shared his outlook and dedication. He will be missed!

Thank you, Rush!

Tags: ENDA, featured, politics, Rush Holt

Category: Transgender Community News, Transgender Politics