Sweeney voted to support discrimination with Foley

The Foley scandal brings to the surface another vote that reveals John Sweeney is a true neo-con who stands up for Bush's right wing agenda over 90% of the time.

Sweeney joined rep. Mark Foley and voted to pass the The Workforce Investment Act. The act writes discrimination into law. In a nation where we aspire to treat all citizens as free and equal, there is no room for people who support a bill that seeks to

...repeal workplace protections in job training programs signed into law by President Reagan and written by then-Senator Dan Quayle. Specifically, it would allow religious organizations, which receive federal funding to operate job training programs, to discriminate in employment based on religious grounds - including objections to an individual's sexual orientation.

House Democrats argued that the bill amounts to government-sanctioned discrimination. "This provision is offensive, ugly, wrong," said Rep. Jim McGovern, Massachusetts Democrat. "It is a slippery slope from here on out and I fear this is just the beginning." LGBT civil rights also decried the legislation which still needs Senate approval.

"Republicans are attempting to force taxpayers to pay for their own discrimination," said Eric Stern, Executive Director of National Stonewall Democrats. "No American should have to pass a religious test in order to receive a federally funded job. The valuable work of our religious institutions should not be corrupted by discriminatory policies advanced by Republicans."

The vote followed an "action alert" Tuesday by the conservative Family Research Council urging its members to contact their representatives to vote for the measure. "Organizations that oppose homosexuality and abortion often need extra protection when receiving federal aid or using federal facilities," said Tony Perkins, FRC President.

Among the Republicans who voted for passage of the legislation were Charlie Bass (NH), Judy Biggert (IL), Mary Bono (CA), Mark Foley (FL), Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ), Nancy Johnson (CT), Jim Kolbe (AZ), Jim Leach (AZ), Deborah Price (OH), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL), Joe Schwarz (MI) and John Sweeney (NY), all of whom received endorsements and financial support from national LGBT organizations last November.

Source: "Bill Allows Faith Based Groups To Discriminate Against Gay Workers" by Paul Johnson, March 3, 2005.