Last week after the House nearly passed an amendment preventing the federal government from contracting with companies that discriminate against LGBTQ Americans. As Politico described it,

At one point, a monitor in the House gallery showed there were 217 votes supporting the legislation, eliciting cheers of joy from Democrats who thought the measure might actually pass. But over the course of about 10 minutes, those votes suddenly dropped one by one to 212 — and the amendment failed.

A number of [Republican] lawmakers from western states, who originally voted yes, changed their votes.

Unfortunately, not only did that effort fail, but House Republicans are now busy making sure we can't easily introduce similar amendments to other bills. That’s not right.

The LGBT Data Inclusion Act requires federal agencies to collect consistent data – on a voluntary, self-declared basis – on sexual orientation and gender identity across the country. This will mean Congress and federal agencies can base civil rights policy on real information instead of guessing who lives where.