On Tuesday’s edition of the Daily Show, Sen. Al Franken called for swift passage of the Student Non-Discrimination Act, a bill that would add protections for LGBT students in schools. Franken is the author of the bill, one he has carried since he came to the U.S. Senate. He told host John Stewart that though it’s an uphill battle, he thinks he can get it passed.

Here’s a partial transcript of the conversation:

Franken: SDNA called Student Non-Discrimination which I can’t believe I can’t get done it’s kind of an uphill battle which is to say that LGBT students should have the right not to be bullied at school.

Stewart: and it’s controversial? How does someone argue that with you? Does someone say, ‘I don’t know, I think I would like to bully them?’ How in God’s name… how would they say that?

Franken: Well, they go, ‘No student should be bullied,’ and I go ‘But you know a black student has a legal right not to be bullied by the 1964 Civil Rights Act by virtue of their race, a disabled kid has an actual legal right to do something about it.’

Stewart: There’s an actual history, as well, of sexual preference discrimination and bullying…

Franken: LGBT kids are the kids being most bullied. 30 percent of LGBT kids report not going to school one day in the last month bec they are afraid. You can’t learn in school if you dread going to school; and we in the Senate, we are supposed to be grownups and these are kids and we want to respect our kids so. I think I can get this done.