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Hate Crimes Passes, Faces Veto


The Senate voted 63-28 Thursday night to end discussion on the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which was subsequently adopted by unanimous consent as an amendment to the Department of Defense reauthorization bill.

"The Senate made a strong statement this evening that hate crimes have no place in America," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. "This is a victory for all Americans -- particularly those like Judy Shepard, who has endured what no mother should ever have to."

Though the amendment garnered three votes more than necessary to reach cloture, the fate of the hate-crimes measure may now be linked to $1.75 billion in funding for F-22 fighter jets also included in the DOD legislation.

President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates both oppose the F-22 program and a White House spokesman said the president will not sign a DOD bill that continues to fund the program.

"The president has long supported the hate-crimes bill and gave his personal commitment to Judy Shepard that we will enact an inclusive bill," said Shin Inouye, referring to Shepard's Oval Office visit with the president earlier this year. "Unfortunately, the president will have to veto the Defense authorization bill if it includes wasteful spending for additional F-22s. The collective judgment of the service chiefs and secretaries of the military departments is that the current program is sufficient to meet operational requirements. A presidential veto would not indicate any change in President Obama's commitment to seeing the hate-crimes bill enacted."

Senators Carl Levin and John McCain have offered a bipartisan amendment to remove the F-22 funding that is scheduled for a vote Monday, but insiders say the count is unclear.

If the F-22 amendment fails and President Obama vetoes the bill, it will be sent back to the Senate for a rewrite. A Democratic Senate aide said Senator Reid was optimistic, nonetheless, that hate-crimes legislation would make the final version of DOD authorization.

"This was a good vote," said the aide. "Senator Reid is hopeful that we can keep this language in the final bill."

David Smith, vice president of the Human Rights Campaign, also indicated that the hate-crimes expansion stood a good chance of being signed into law despite the F-22 snag.

"We are very confident that the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act is going to get to the president's desk," Smith said. "There might be some bumps along the way, but it will eventually get there."

The hate-crimes measure would broaden a federal statute that already protects citizens against bias crimes based on their race, color, national origin, or religion to include crimes committed against citizens for their actual or perceived gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. It would also allow the federal government to provide assistance to local law authorities investigating a bias crime and to step in where local authorities are themselves unable or unwilling to prosecute a hate crime.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, who is being treated for brain cancer, originally introduced the legislation in the Senate in 1997.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Steve
    Date posted: 7/21/2009 4:15:00 PM
    Hometown: Boston, MA

    Comment:

    Why do we even need hate crime laws? Shouldn't a crime be a crime, regardless of what gender, ethnicity, disability status, or what sexual orientation a person is? I think if you assault someone, you should be charged with assault. If you attack a homosexual because of their sexual preferences, you should be charged with assault. Either way, it's an attack on the person, regardless if you wanted their money or if you can't tolerate their beliefs or preferences. Equal status in the US means equal protection under the law; the sad fact is--even with laws--you can't force acceptance. It will come in time. If I was stabbed, I would not care if I was stabbed because I was straight, or Italian/ Irish. I'd care because I'd been STABBED and could be seriously injured.

  • Name: Danya
    Date posted: 7/21/2009 3:12:00 AM
    Hometown: Harlingen, Texas

    Comment:

    I got this link from my LGBT group and was a little astonished at what I've read. I was overjoyed by how positive outcome turned to be but as I read further I grew disappointed. Must the military go so low as to use a defense bill of our civil rights to get their funding? Seriously, on that part I have to agree that this bill should not be passed if it's going to end up getting us into further dept because of the selfish military. This bill was meant to bring peace, not war. Shame on you for wanting to pass a bill for all the wrong reasons. Then I got to the part where the senators offered to make an amendment to remove the F-22 funding. But what happens if that fails? Obviously, I would LIKE for this bill to pass but I wouldn't be upset either if Obama vetoed it. Let's not get selfish, we have to think of our economy and how this bill can affect the common man. I would so rather wait a few more years for a rewrite than pay 200 more dollars on gas.

  • Name: Jeff
    Date posted: 7/20/2009 3:56:00 PM
    Hometown: Cincinnati

    Comment:

    My thought is that if Obama vetoes this legislation, that we should start running commercials with Obama's face next to the remains of some of the LGBT people who have lost their lives due to hate crimes. Plain and simple, we need to hit him where it hurts if we expect to get anything done. He won't do it because it's right or because he promised it. He'll do it when it becomes such a political liability that he has no other choice. A few commercials like that run during prime time would do wonders for getting him to do what he promised.

  • Name: Matt
    Date posted: 7/20/2009 10:26:00 AM
    Hometown: Vermont

    Comment:

    If you assume the role of a victim, the path will be paved for you. Hate crime laws are AGAINST EVERYONE!

  • Name: Jesse
    Date posted: 7/19/2009 8:50:00 PM
    Hometown: Desert Hot Springs, CA

    Comment:

    Fu%# the economy! There are lives to save with this bill!! I'm not surprised that so many groups are trying ever-so hard to try and stop this justice from happening, yet our senators let them go unheard. Apparently they do make the right decisions sometimes.

  • Name: Lane
    Date posted: 7/19/2009 2:20:00 PM
    Hometown: East Central Minnesota

    Comment:

    I detest PJR, and so mentally surround each of his blathering posts with a cadre of Romaine Patterson's angels and move on, content in the knowledge that PJR's comments are documented examples of the hate that we in the LGBTQ communities still experience for other fair-minded visitors to this website to read and then make up their own minds. In the meantime, please ignore PJR as I am far more interested in what everyone else has to say about this article. Happy Pride!

  • Name: Michael Therrrien
    Date posted: 7/19/2009 11:44:00 AM
    Hometown: Jefferson County, TX

    Comment:

    61 votes over rides everything...you don't need unanimous consent. (1 includes the Vice President). This is STUPID and Reid should be embarrassed. before the final version is put out that F-22 crap needs to be thrown out. Also keeping an eye on Sen. Sessions. putting a death penalty attachment is like wearing garlic you might avoid some vampires but nobody else will come near you either. The Bill to expand the Hate crime law to include the death penalty is only a ploy to weaken the support and make division. Now having said all of that. These Senate Rules are STUPID. Period. If the bill passes it should go to joint house committee without attachments or association with any other congressional business.

  • Name: Jay
    Date posted: 7/19/2009 12:28:00 AM
    Hometown: Denver

    Comment:

    This is attached to DoD simply because standalone bills can't pss the Senate without a unanimous consent agreement and only major must-pass bills can secure such a deal between Reid and McConnell. There's no conspiracy. It's just the cumbersome way the Senate is set up to work. Calm down, everyone; the hate crimes bill will be on the final DoD bill and Obama will sign it. If you want to do something productive, call your senator and ask that the F-22's that the Pentagon doesn't even want be left out of this bill. They're only an issue because Chris Dodd wants to save Connecticut defense-contracting jobs.

  • Name: Harvard
    Date posted: 7/18/2009 6:23:00 PM
    Hometown: Cambridge, MA

    Comment:

    I hope Obama will veto this rediculous Bill. Why would we want to waste money that we don't have?

  • Name: Alexandra
    Date posted: 7/18/2009 1:09:00 PM
    Hometown: Culpeper, VA

    Comment:

    I'm not thrilled with the way President Obama has dragged his feet on his promises to the GLBT community, but let's not get suckered by what's happening here. Attaching the Matthew Shepard Act as an amendment to the Dept. of Defense reauthorization is not an attempt to bury the hate crimes act, it's an attempt to make Obama look bad. He declared some time ago that he planned to veto the bill if it came to him with the F-22 appropriations included. Adding the Matthew Shepard Act means that when he vetos the bill now, the Congressional representatives that are fighting him will use this to make him suffer politically by painting him as a bigot to his own people. This bill should be vetoed. It includes over a BILLION dollars for an aircraft the military does not WANT. Instead of getting angry at Obama for doing what he said he would before hate crimes legislation was attached, get pissed at your representatives for wasting your money and playing politics with your protections.

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