Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced on Monday that the Senate will vote on a piece of gay rights legislation by Thanksgiving, USA TODAY reported.
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) currently prohibits workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, though the military and religious institutions are exempted.
The last time ENDA was given a full Senate vote was in 1996 where it was just one vote short of passing.
Aside from the workplace legislation, federal law already bans employer discrimination based on on race, color, sex, nationality, religion, age, or disability.
"We think this vote is long overdue," said Tico Almeida, founder of Freedom to Work who also helped draft the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Though the House passed a similar law in 2007, it died in the Senate after then-President George W. Bush threatened a veto.
Every Democratic senator has signed on the bill except for Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.).
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) applauded Reid for focusing on the bill.
"I thank Majority Leader Reid for committing to bring ENDA to the floor this work period," Merkley said to The Huffington Post. "Americans understand that it's time to make sure our LGBT friends and family are treated fairly and have the same opportunities. Now it's time for our laws to catch up. People should be judged at work on their ability to do the job, period."
Almeida added that he and his colleagues prioritized getting support from Republicans by guaranteeing protections to religious-based employers. So far, they've gotten the support of Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) who has voted the bill in committee in addition to GOP Sens. Mark Kirk of Illinois and Susan Collins of Maine.
"The question is: Can we push House leadership to actually hold a vote? If they held it, I think we would win," Almeida said.
He also said that Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)'s support of the bill in 2007 is a "glimmer of hope" for conservatives to vote in favor of the bill.
