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Loading ...Bill would give benefits to same-sex partners of federal workers
05.21.2009 9:28am EDT
(Washington) Legislation has been introduced in the the House and Senate to provide benefits for same-sex domestic partners of federal civilian employees on the same basis as spousal benefits.
The Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act is sponsored by Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) in the House and Sens. Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) in the Senate.The benefits would include participation in applicable retirement programs, life and health insurance benefits, and family and medical leave.
“This legislation would allow the federal government to keep pace with other top employers,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
“It is not only a matter of equal pay for equal work, but also the best way to ensure that the government has access to the top talent on the same basis as the nation’s leading corporations.”
Currently, 57 percent of Fortune 500 companies provide domestic partner benefits to their employees.
Many of America’s leading companies, including defense giant Raytheon, IBM, Microsoft, Shell Oil, Walt Disney, Fannie Mae, Citigroup, Xerox, Time Warner and United and American Airlines offer the benefits.
In addition, 16 states and over 200 local governments offer their public employees domestic partnership benefits.
Meanwhile, at a House committee markup on the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Chairman Howard Berman reiterated Secretary of State Clinton’s commitment to provide equal benefits to the same-sex partners of US diplomats stationed overseas.
The benefits would include medical care, transport between postings and security training to partners.
Since this article specifically mentions civilians, I presume that we are still far away from presenting a bill for repeal of DADT.
This sounds like a step in the right direction, but how far will it really go and will it also cover civil service workers, like teachers who teach for Dodds over seas? Does it give them the ability to have their partners live with them in a dependent role so as to not have to work and yet live with the spouce who is actually teaching on military bases?
Another baby step. Hooray.
But no; no change for the military; no change for the rest of us.
My Social Security will still be denied to my husband if I pass away.
No significant change at all.
Thanks, Congress. For nothing.
Jonathan… NO the Bill to Repeal DADT is already presented.
Hey, 365 GAY, maybe you need someone to do a blog on it.
It is called the Milititary Readiness Enhancement Act HR 1283.
Here is link: govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1283
Get on it, spread the word! Everyone should know this.
One problem, it was entered by Ellen Taushcher of Walnut Creek, who has been appointed to a Nuclear Arms post, deservingly, but sometimes I think Obama did that just to get this bill stalled. SO HELP it if you want DADT. Repealed.
However, running to replace her is a local Westpoint and Harvard Graduate… black, 28 y/o…and yes a DADT victim!!
Anthony Woods…here is his campaign site.
anthonywoodsforcongress.com/home.html
The government at all levels would save loads of time and legislation if they just recognized the marriages of same-sex couples.
Wait til the fundies in the GOP find out about this – a bill that DARES to treat all employees equally. They’ll have a sh!tfit.
I have been with my partner for 10 years 7 mo. and 6 days. My partner “younger than I” is on SSD now and I don’t understand the harm in legalizing our partnership and giving us the same state and federal benifits as “straight” couples. ” You have nothing to fear but fear it’s self.” Human Rights and Discrimination are 2 of the many things that should not be yet is, also yet another big wrong in our country.
I wonder if federal employees under this plan would still have to pay federal income tax on the provided benifits as I am required to do? My domestic partner works for the local county is required to pay federal taxes on the benifit cost.
Brian Conlin:
I have not seen the bill but believe that such benefits would be taxed since you are receiving something of value that you did not pay for. This is yet another argument for marriage equality. As a Fed employee, I cannot add my Partner to my health insurance and if I could he would have to pay tax on the benefit. If we could get married in a way that was recognized at the Federal level, I would then have the same benefit schedule as the guy working next to me who is effectively being paid more than I am. Our benefit package is considered to be part of our total compensation but I cannot receive the full benefits offered to him. I call that unequal pay for equal work.
This legislation has been introduced before but, went nowhere. Maybe it has more success with this Congress. As a retired Federal employee, I would hope that retired emplyees are included. My partner and I have been together for 48 years and I would like to be able to provide for a survivor annuity. I’m contacting my Comgessperson. DOMA MUST BE REPEALED!!!!!!
The sponsorship of this bill illustrates my often stated view in this column that we need to vote for CANDIDATES, NOT parties! It has bipartisan sponsorship in both houses of Congress, including, as one would expect, the ever reliable and principled GOP Senator Susan Collins of Maine. If only that party had a majority with her good sense and judgement!!!!
I can see the cobwebs already forming on this Bill (like the DADT repeal bill). After all, President Barack O’Bush is too busy doing more significant and daring things like: giving pro-abortion commencement speeches at Catholic Universities (how brave) and sponsoring Def Jam ethnic poetry readings at the White House (how stereotypical).
So, why would he (or the Democrats in Congress) want to waste time on civil rights legislation when they are too busy passing laws that allow drunken tourists to carry loaded weapons in our National Parks (like Yellow Stone and the Grand Canyon National Park, etc)?
Just look at the math so far: 2008 Democrats (plus) Barack O’Bush (equals) 1990s Democrats (plus) Bill Clinton (multiplied by) “F*ck Off…shooo… get out here you pervs and pests!” to the GLBT community (equals) a bunch of dumb-asses who will believe anything they‘re told.
Are we just going to bitch and whine and accept our fate like a bunch of whimpering boot-lickers?
No?
Solution: A massive shift to a third party by the tens of millions of very active voters in the GLBT community would shake up the treacherous bastards for sure. If they lose another round to the Republicans let them know if was because they cannot count on our support until they have earned it.
Tell them, in no uncertain terms: Do not rely on us, if we cannot rely on you!
Now, as far as the Republicans being back in power– who cares, what have the Dems done for us other than give us false hope and then laugh in our collective faces as they pull the rug out from under us again? The guys with the big bucks still get to write the laws in Washington DC on Health Care, Credit Cards, Civil Liberties, and…well, hell, just about everything else. It’s business as usual as the Democrats and Republicans just play musical chairs in Congress each election cycle. More reason than ever for a grassroots, truly liberal, Third Party which, with just ten percent of the seats in Congress, could be powerbrokers and control the agenda without the usual Puppet-master Corporate Overlords pulling all the strings in DC .
As a former life-long Democrats, I feel more disgust for a friend who betrays me than for an enemy I knew hated me all along. At least the latter doesn’t steal your trust and then stab you in the back. At least, with an honest bigot, you can see it coming.
The majority of the Democratic Party (especially in the circles of power, i.e. Sen. Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Obama) are either apathetic towards us (except during a presidential election year) or outright contemptuous of us — including all Dixie-crats, Conservative Democrats, Spineless Liberals and Barack “I don’t believe in gay marriage” Obama.
They will take advantage of you every single time — if you let them. The Jewish, Black and Hispanic Community have learned that lesson, and the Democrats are truly scared sh*tless of screwing with them.
So why haven’t we woke up to the fact that we have power too? But power is nothing unless you have the guts to use it. So…use it already!
Stop being an Obama-bot…stop being a dependable and “useful” fool for the Democrats…get ANGRY and stay that way until we have achieved our liberation.
Politicians (like most of us) live in fear also. They, of course, live in constant fear of losing an election because of screwing with the wrong people. So… let them fear us for a change. Let them know that they cannot automatically count on our votes — which they will always need, and beg for, in a close election. Let them know that if they are going to be political whores to all of their other constituents, then either put out for us too, or give us our money back and don‘t waste our time anymore.
Please GLBT community, get off your knees for a change, and remember…you are only as weak or as strong as you are willing to be. Don’t let others define you.
So….
!!!WAKE UP, PEOPLE!!!! ….please,
The future is ours — OWN IT!
© Bud Evans 2009
Bud:
Sorry – I disagree with you re complaining about Obama. You take the best you have and run with it. If another Bush takes office, gay people might as well all emigrate to Canada.
And the rest of us str8 people might as well do the same. For the Homophobic States of America will be nothing but a Christian / Catholic version of Saudi Arabia. And the world might damn well end in Bin Ladens hope for a “clash of Civiliztions”. He may be mad, but he sure realized the opportunity Bush and his christian hate gang gave to that Islamic maniac.
I live near DC, and am fairly well plugged into what is going on. Obama is spending political capital where he knows he can get results, not burning it up where the defeat will only invigorate and justify to people in the middle that they shouldn’t waste their time on a “hopeless battle”.
Obama needs to be seen as an unstoppable winner. Everybody loves a winner. We didn’t knock over the religious freaks segregation monstrosity in 100 days, and the old good old boy christians and catholics are still around, but fortunately marginalized.
Pressure on our congressmen and senators – absolutely. Writing the White House, now that it is being repainted from the red paint made out of the blood of 4500 of our soldiers killed in a war based on lies, yes.
But now there is hope. Lots of progress, re the marriage front, ending the nazi regime of Bush and his gang, little steps like CO and MD (here) putting through some important first steps toward legal recognition for gay people as families. Iowa, CT, VT, prob NH, and hopefully Maine keeps marriage.
It has taken me a long time to learn that bitching isn’t a way to win, it is just a way to vent frustration. Supporting the people who fundamentally want to right the terrible wrongs of America is what we need to do.
And if my wife actually knew the true size of the $$ I’ve contributed to gay equality causes over the last 5 years (midway towards 6 figurs) I’d be sleeping by myself.
Because of a lesson that took me almost 40 years to understand. That I didn’t marry my wife (f). I also married her mother. A dear departed woman whose motto was “the house, the house, everything for the house”. She married my parents – Dad graduated college in 1929. You can guess how they treated money.
But we get along reasonably fine. I tell all this little story, in the hopes that many of you folks reading this will in the not too distant future, will be wrestling with the same probs your str8 friends have.
And wouldn’t that be a nice set of problems?
But I hope I’ve added a little political insight from my activism of the last 8 years.
Most countries with more then two parties have very unstable govts. The goal is to win over the friends, recognize their issues, etc. Not fracture yourself into obscurity.
Talk to me at Stephen1553@gmail.com I hope I can shed a little more insight.
I just took a look at my directory where I copy – paste articles from gay news sites that show progress on LGBT issues. Everything from just today 2 LGBT judges won elections in PA, to CO Gov signs Dom. Partner state employee benefits bill, right under the noses of that sick piece of shit Dobson, probably a closet case self hater btw, who runs Focus on the family.
Over the last 4 years, I have almost 1200 articles relating to progress. Some happened, some didn’t.
So much is happening. But bitching about Obama etc isn’t going to help. The mindset has to be that we all find ways to help, from supporting the most progressive political candidates, to supporting gay equality groups.
If anyone wants a copy of all this material on CD, write me at
Stephen_1553-k@comcast.net
Hopefully the community will get a new slant on all the good things happening, and how to contribute.
But some people have just bitched to much. I agree – rome wasn’t built in a day, and unless a new Mt Vesuvius erupts just under a hundred 10 acre city state there, it won’t be torn down in a day either. Even if 70% of the congress, senate, President etc were openly gay, it would take decades to change laws, trash homophobic states rights, impeach conservative Judges, and totally disgrace the relgious wrong.
I hope I’ve helped you to see that we need to work with the best we have, POLITICS IS A PROCESS.
It took Adolph Satan Bush 8 years to nearly destroy our nation. We’ve got a big job ahead to rebuild it.
Fracturing support for the best people we have, like Pr. Obama, just falls into the hands of the Christian Taliban.
I don’t want to be part of that kind of disaster, for want of not seeing the long view.
You shouldn’t either.
OK, SteveMD2, I’ve said this before, but…
Let’s just take another look at Obama’s record so far:
* Today, May 22, 2009, Obama stated that he believes that we should continue to keep prisoners of war (or detainees as he so euphemistically puts it) incarcerated forever — without even being charged. And, if they are charged and found innocent because of lack of evidence, then they should be imprisoned indefinitely anyway — in case they “might” commit crimes in the future. As Rachel Madow on MSNBC put it: Reminds one of Tom Cruise in the movie, “Minority Report”, doesn’t it? Imprisoning people forever based on a fear of a future crime that may never occur. G.W. Bush is probably scratching his head right now, saying: “What the f*ck! And they jumped on my ass for doing the same?” …Yep, change you can believe in.
* Obama now supports George W. Bush-style Military Tribunals for foreign war detainees (he was against them as candidate Obama).
* Obama has expanded (not limited) Bush-style warrantless wiretapping; adding special guarantees of government immunity and expanding his “special powers” (without Congressional Oversight) of the Executive Branch.
* Obama has stifled government investigations into Torture and the Human Rights Abuses of the former administration.
* Obama gives away hundreds of billions of tax-payer’s dollars to Wall Street, and then he just turns his back on the union workers who supported him in the Auto Industry.
* Obama allows his minions in Congress to conduct hearings on Heath Care Reform where they invite profit-driven vultures and profiteering extortionists from the Insurance Industry to sit at the front of the table when formulating Health Care Reform — while they simultaneously arrest and expel single-payer National Health Care advocates from the hearings.
* On civil rights, Obama has de-prioritized repeal of DADT which has destroyed the military careers of over twelve thousand loyal, patriot Americans (even as Candidate Obama campaigned to push Congress to overturn that odious Jim Crow-style affront to human dignity).
* Obama (and Pelosi/Reid) have expressed no interest whatsoever in overturning DOMA so that those of us who are legally married (or partnered under some other kind of quasi-marriage-like legal arrangement) can receive federal benefits — as Obama promised.
* Obama’s apologists say that he is too busy trying to save the nation and the economy and jobs — so, then why isn’t he pushing for job equality and protections (ENDA) for the tens of millions of GLBT citizens who do not have the same level of job protections as ninety percent of the population?
In the final analysis, the Democrats and, especially Obama, are NOT “The Change You Can Believe In“! As bigoted, odious and villainous as the Republican Party is, at least they are upfront about it. Whereas, the Democrats, along with their lying segregationist, bigoted demagogue, Barak Obama, are master deceivers who troll the GLBT community for money, political volunteers, and votes — only to slap us all in the face with either that tiresome mantra of “the time is not right” excuse or just an outright “get out of my face” avoidance of us after an election — that is, after they have exploited us repeatedly in order to grab political power.
Fortunately, amongst the deluded millions of Obama sycophants who initially supported this dishonorable bigot, there are millions now who are finally starting to see the light.
It will be a third party ticket for me and my spouse next time — unless the Segregationists Democrats in Congress and the Bigot-in-Chief in the White House get the message. I am sure many millions in the GLBT community will also express a similar outrage at the ballot box. Maybe then “our friends” on Capital Hill, and in the White House, will finally get the message that when you barely win an election, with a desperately cobbled together coalition of minority voters, you don’t dare betray your constituents by ignoring their fundamental demands for equal rights after you are in office.
And, by the way, SteveMD2, you are wrong, most nations of the western world function quite well with a multi-party government (perhaps, with the exception of Italy). Countries like France, Great Britain, Germany, Canada, hell…most of the world…have better representational governments than the United States and its corrupt good old boy, two party system which only offers us the lamentable choice of “dumb and dumber“.
The main reason that we have only a two party government is because of corporate influence in American elections along with machinations of the corporate media. If we had publicly funded elections with no one allowed to outspend their opponent by dumping hundreds of millions of dollars into TV attack ads (whereby making the corporate TV networks richer), and if each party’s candidates were given equal time to get out their message during an abbreviated election season (like in Canada and in Europe) — then we’d have a real representational government and the people would be better served.
That is not a recipe for chaos, as you suggest. Coalitions would be formed (like in Canada and in Europe) and more voices are given a chance to be heard. Just remember, all of those other countries have either Same Sex Marriage Equality or equivalent Civil Partnership recognition, as well as much stronger equal rights guarantees for all of their GLBT citizens.
Furthermore, SteveMD2, as President Obama wasted our time for two years “bitching” and “complaining” against the controlling establishment in Washington (as you accuse us in the GLBT community of doing), while he was candidate Obama, then it is only appropriate to do what he did for two years. And like him, we can also put political action behind our complaints in the next four years — to be more specific, we can kick his ass out. Ditto that with the pseudo-liberal Democratic Party too.
© Bud Evans
http://rainfish2000.blogspot.com