WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Kamala D. Harris (D-CA), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Al Franken (D-MN) led a group of 44 Senators Thursday calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to rescind an Oct. 4 memo that stated does not prohibit discrimination based on gender identity.

The memo puts transgender individuals further at risk of discrimination in the workplace, and reverses efforts by the Department of Justice under the Obama Administration to affirm Title VII legal protections for the transgender community.

“This most recent action by the Department to roll back protections for transgender persons is anathema to the Civil Rights Act’s purpose,” the Senators wrote. “When President Johnson signed the Act into law on July 2, 1964, he wisely observed, “those who founded our country knew that freedom would be secure only if each generation fought to renew and enlarge its meaning. Your Department has repeatedly undermined those very words.”

The Senators continued, “The Civil Rights Division, charged with enforcement of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, states its purpose is “to uphold the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, particularly some of the most vulnerable members of our society,” Transgender individuals are among the most vulnerable Americans. Your Department would best serve its mission by clarifying that employees should be hired or fired based on their ability to do the job—not because of their gender identity.”

In addition to Harris, Murray, and Franken, the following U.S. Senators signed the letter: Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Tom Carper (D-DE), Bob Casey (D-PA), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), John Tester (D-MT), Tom Udall (D-NM), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

Read full text of the letter [HERE].