World
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 Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Wednesday passed a bill that will provided benefits to same-sex partners of federal workers by a vote of 8 to 1.
"I believe this legislation is really on the right side of history," said committee chair and sponsor of the bill Sen. Joseph Lieberman, calling it an extension of "equal pay for equal work."
GOP senator Susan Collins, a cosponsor of the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, said the legislation would be a critical recruiting tool in the coming years. "The federal government faces a potential wave of departures in the next few years when approximately 60% of the federal workforce will be eligible for retirement," she said.
The legislation is now eligible for a full Senate vote, but Lieberman said the bill would not move on the Senate floor until the Office of Personnel Management provided an estimate of savings offsets that would help pay for the measure initially. Lieberman noted the bill represented "a very small percentage" of overall costs for the federal workforce -- coming in at an estimated $63 million a year on average over the next 10 years, while all civilian personnel costs for fiscal year 2009 totaled $227.6 billion.
"Will this measure add to the total cost of providing federal employee
benefits?," Lieberman asked. "Of course it will, but in an amount that
I consider to be well worth what we achieve in terms of attracting the
best possible employees to federal service
and also in term of righting the scales of justice."
Senator Collins was particularly displeased with not having the OPM recommendations in time for the committee vote.
"I'm
very disappointed that two months after our hearing that OPM has yet to
bring to us the offsetting savings that will compensate for the initial
cost of this bill," she said.
Following the hearing, Lieberman
told The Advocate that OPM has made cost savings proposals, but the
Office of Management and Budget has yet to approve them.
"John
Berry is very confident that they can find this money," he said, "but
they just couldn't get a sign off early enough, and I think that will
really help us on the floor so that the bill is deficit neutral."
OPM did not respond to inquiries in time for the posting of this article.
Companion
legislation in the House was also passed out of committee, but neither
bill is expected to come up for a vote before the end of the year.
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
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
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
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
A Republican mom and her transgender son open up about unconditional love and acceptance
April 16 2024 6:00 AM
Supreme Court lets Idaho enforce law criminalizing gender-affirming care for minors
April 15 2024 8:47 PM
Plus
Yahoo FeedGay fetish artist Rex has died — see some of his sexy work
April 15 2024 8:13 PM
Brittney Griner and her wife, Cherelle, are expecting! Here's when baby Griner is arriving
April 15 2024 12:52 PM
Tennessee Senate passes bill making 'recruiting' for trans youth care a felony
April 14 2024 11:17 AM