A provision that would have punished states for protecting LGBTQ adoptive and foster parents has failed in the House.

In July, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee attached the Aderholt amendment, which would have banned states from enforcing anti-discrimination laws if they conflicted with an adoption agency’s religious beliefs, to a funding bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.

Yesterday, though, the Aderholt amendment was dropped in negotiations between the House and the Senate, and the House passed the budget measure without it. The amendment faced strong opposition from Senate Democrats.

Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) said, “I was proud to fight to ensure that the Aderholt amendment — which would have inserted bigotry and discrimination into our foster care and adoption systems — was removed from this year’s Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education funding bill.”

“Children deserve to live in safe, happy, and healthy permanent homes, and their best interests should always be placed first,” she added. “No qualified adoptive and foster care parent should be discriminated against, period.” Read more via LGBTQ Nation