Apple CEO Tim Cook Urges Congress to Pass ENDA

Apple CEO Tim Cook says instituting a federal workplace equality law similar to his company's policy would contribute to the success of more American businesses.

In an op-ed for the The Wall Street Journal, Cook urged the U.S. Senate to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, scheduled for an initial vote on Monday. He also pressed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives to consider bringing the bill to a floor vote.

"Protections that promote equality and diversity should not be conditional on someone's sexual orientation," he wrote. "For too long, too many people have had to hide that part of their identity in the workplace."

Cook became CEO of Apple in 2011 when founder Steve Jobs stepped down from the position. While Cook avoids discussion of his private life, he was named as the nation's most powerful gay person in Out magazine's Power 50 list in May 2011.