The Log Cabin
Republicans announced Tuesday six endorsements for the U.S.
House and Senate. The organization endorses the following
Republican candidates for reelection: Senators Gordon
Smith (Ore.) and Susan Collins (Maine) and
Representatives Mary Bono Mack (Calif.), Mark Kirk (Ill.),
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.), and Christopher Shays (Conn.).
"We're proud to
endorse these six lawmakers for reelection," said Log
Cabin president Patrick Sammon. "They're strong allies.
and they have excellent records on issues of basic
fairness for gay and lesbian Americans. We look
forward to helping them win reelection." Sammon called
the endorsees "the future of the Republican Party,"
saying they support a "unifying agenda" and believe
that the Republican Party must be "a big tent party"
that welcomes everyone.
LCR provided the following information about the
records of these GOP congressional members:
Sen. Gordon Smith
is one of Log Cabin's strongest allies in the U.S.
Senate. He has fought for basic fairness for gay and
lesbian Americans, leading the fight in the Senate for
hate crimes and HIV/AIDS legislation. Smith
cosponsored the Early Treatment for HIV Act and the
Matthew Shepard (hate crimes) Act. He has also led the
way in fighting for basic fairness in tax legislation,
recently introducing the Tax Equity for Domestic
Partner and Health Plan Beneficiaries Act and the
Domestic Partnership Benefits & Obligations Act.
Sen. Susan
Collins is a strong supporter of the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act and is a cosponsor of the
Matthew Shepard Act. Collins opposed the
anti-family Federal Marriage Amendment and has also
been a leader in the Senate on HIV/AIDS
funding. Recently, Collins pressed Joint Chiefs
chairman Adm. Michael Mullen on the harmful "don't
ask, don't tell" law. During a Senate hearing,
Collins expressed growing concern that the loss of gay
service members under the law is harming our nation's
security.
Congresswoman
Mary Bono Mack opposed the anti-family Federal Marriage
Amendment. She also voted for the Local Law Enforcement
Enhancement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Plus,
she's a leading congressional advocate for sound
HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention policies. She's
a cosponsor of the Early Treatment for HIV Act and led
efforts in the House to reauthorize the Ryan White
CARE Act.
Congressman Mark
Kirk voted against the anti-family Federal Marriage
Amendment. He is the lead Republican cosponsor of the
Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Hate Crimes
Prevention Act and supports the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act.
Congresswoman
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is a cosponsor of the Military
Readiness Enhancement Act and has provided a powerful
conservative voice in the fight to end the
discriminatory "don't ask, don't tell" law. She
voted against the anti-family Federal Marriage
Amendment. She also supports the hate crimes bill, the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and the Early
Treatment for HIV Act. Most recently,
Ros-Lehtinen has spoken out forcefully against human rights
violations of LGBT citizens abroad, particularly in radical
Islamic regimes. She has also urged fair
treatment of gay and lesbian employees of the U.S.
State Department.
Congressman
Christopher Shays is the lead Republican cosponsor of the
Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Hate Crimes Prevention
Act. He is also a strong supporter of the
Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act and
a cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination
Act. He voted against the anti-family Federal Marriage
Amendment and is a strong supporter of sound HIV/AIDS
treatment and prevention policies. (The
Advocate)
