CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Wednesday voted 23-12 to pass the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, which would extend benefits to same-sex partners of federal government workers.
The bill is now likely to move to a full House floor vote, which many anticipate could take place before the end of the year.
"Last I talked to the majority leader who sets the floor schedule, he was hopeful that it could get fairly prompt attention by the full House," said out congresswoman Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, who is the lead sponsor of the bill in the House.
Debate over the bill split along party lines with Democrats emphasizing the concepts of fairness and equality and Republicans objecting to the legislation on the basis that it would begin to redefine marriage or would create special rights for LGBT people.
GOP representative Jeff Fortenberry of Nebraska opened his statement by saying that he deplored any form of discrimination.
"Ironically, this bill seems to put one group of persons over another," Fortenberry said. "The legislation defines domestic partners in an open-ended and ambiguous manner and creates a privileged class of persons of the same sex."
But Democratic representative Danny Davis of Illinois took exception to Fortenberry's characterization.
"It is unsettling to me to think that because of the way that someone might feel, the way they might act, or the way they might behave -- circumstances that they have no control over -- that the rest of us would sit in some kind of judgment to deny them the very things that we would want for ourselves," Davis said.
Republican California congressman Darrell Issa, the ranking member on the committee, objected to
the bill on the grounds that it was fiscally irresponsible.
"We are taking up a bill that casts aside all concerns about fiscal
responsibility in order to bestow costly new benefits to a select class
of federal employees," he said.
The Obama administration has estimated that the bill would cost
taxpayers $56 million next year, which represents about 0.2% of
the entire cost of the government's federal employee health insurance,
according to previous testimony by John Berry, director of the Office
of Personnel Management.
But Issa said that estimate includes only the cost of providing health
benefits and noted the legislation is not limited to health benefits.
"Without a cost estimate, the committee does not know what the short
and long term costs of this bill may be and what impact the bill may
have on premiums," said Issa.
But the committee chairman, Rep. Edolphus Towns, called the bill's
price tag "relatively minor" in terms of the overall federal employment
budget.
"The administration has committed to finding a way to pay for this bill, so we can comply with House PAYGO rules," he said.
The Senate companion bill has yet to be scheduled for a committee vote,
but Baldwin said that still might take place next month.
"In my private conversations with Senator [Joe] Lieberman, who is both the chair
and the bill's author, he said he hoped for a markup in December," she
said. "What I plan on doing now that the bill is reported out of
committee is call him up and give him a progress report and maybe
prompt parallel action on the Senate side."
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
30 Steamy Photos of Folsom Street Fair 2023 Debauchery
October 15 2023 11:06 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
60 Burly Pics from Bearrison Street Fair 2022
October 08 2023 8:30 PM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
We kiki with Jake Shears about Cabaret, Tammy Faye, Elton, and more
March 25 2024 9:52 AM
Prince William's aversion to spectacle created one — and might spawn a King Harry
March 22 2024 6:24 PM
Outrage after Oklahoma prosecutor declines charges in Nex Benedict bullying death
March 22 2024 5:21 PM
George Santos leaves Republican Party, will run for House seat as independent
March 22 2024 4:07 PM
Catherine, Princess of Wales, announces she has cancer
March 22 2024 2:57 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedProhibition Wellness & revolutionizing self-care for all
March 22 2024 1:19 PM
Tennessee bill would permit anti-LGBTQ+ foster and adoptee parents
March 22 2024 11:54 AM