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Loading ...Pelosi: No rush to repeal DOMA, but DC bill is OK
05.07.2009 6:02pm EDT
(Washington) Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters that the House will not move to block a District of Columbia law that recognizes same-sex marriages performed in areas where they are legal.
The DC council passed the bill this week, but laws passed by the district are subject to Congressional review.DC already has a domestic partner registry which was enacted in 2007 to the ire of Republicans. The registry allows same- and opposite-sex couples to register their relationships. It includes such partner rights as hospital and nursing home visitations, medical decisions, and inheritance rights.
The new marriage bill was patterned after an executive ordered issued by New York governor David Paterson (D) last year.
Asked at her weekly press conference about the DC law, Pelosi said she expected the Democratically-controlled House to let the law stand.
“I don’t think the Congress should intervene there in terms of their recognitions of marriages in states that allow them any more than we should intervene in New York,” Pelosi told reporters.
But at the same time, she indicated there would be no rush to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex unions. Pelosi suggested there may not be enough votes yet for repeal.
In the meantime, she touted House passage last week of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, also known as the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. The legislation, which still needs Senate approval, would provide local police and sheriff’s departments with federal resources to combat hate violence.
Pelosi also said the House may take up the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the ban on gays serving openly in the military.
““Members will make a priority of issues like gays in the military. And where we have prospects of success, we always want to expand to a place of more opportunity and more freedom for all – for all Americans,” she said.
“But right now, our agenda is jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs. And as we move on that front, concurrently, we have to make some decisions about what is possible.”
DOMA is toast once it hits the courts. The only real question is how Obama will justify the feds defending DOMA in court.
Pelosi makes it sound like you can only vote to repeal DOMA once. It’s bad legislation. Slick Willy should never have let it get past his desk and shame on him for his moral cowardice.
Unfortunately, that same moral cowardice is still alive and well in DC.
I agree with most people’s anger of course but for me, Pelosi will be more likely to listen then some asshole like Newt Gingrich or Orin Hatch or all the Republicans in the senate!
Try and write her or get of your lazy asses and go picket her office…
I think there are lots of other factors in some people’s response to not like the Dems. To each his or her own, but like I said, I personally feel better at this stage of my life as a GAY American with the Democrats then I EVER have with Republicans…
Maybe it’s “Regional” or something. but where I come from Republican= Fag hater, black and minority hater anyone who isnt “white and christian” so. Thats what I have to work with.
The back tracking of Democrats is just another proof that people need to vote for CANDIDATES, not parties!!! All Democrats aren’t friendly to minorities any more than all Republicans are unfriendly. The Democrats have huge majorities–if they kept their party’s campaign promises, DOMA would already be repealed, as would “don’t ask, don’t tell”. The problem is the campaign is over, they got the votes, so now its “what’s the rush—we need to think about it, form a “study group” and discuss it to death.” The more things change, the more they remain the same!
Even if we accept the assumption that there aren’t enough votes to repeal DOMA, how will you know which Congress people you need to educate about the issues unless there is a vote?
“But at the same time, she indicated there would be no rush to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex unions. Pelosi suggested there may not be enough votes yet for repeal.”
In other words, we Democrats care more about hanging on to our majorities in Congress than overturning bigoted laws.
Trace, are you trying to say the Republicans are to be better. PLEASE.
How many times did Bush and Fundee Friends say that “the most important issue of all times is to protect the institution of marriage?” and how many times did he/they suggest ammending the constitution to enshrine their hatred of LGBT people?
So don’t start Bashing Dems., Liberals and/or Pelosi, too quickly.
Republicans and Religion are the root for all the Hate towards the LGBT community…
I am not saying the Dems. are angels, but i feel less hatred, less harm coming from them. They have to put on a “show” for other ppl. of the country as well. If not, the “right” wing will say, you see they are only for the Homos. (sad but you ALL know it is true)
Personally, we should have a 3rd party, LGBT should be “libertarian” or “green” but reality is reality. Dems. are the lesser of 2 evils. period.
ONLY thing that a Republican can EVER do to get my vote would be to get away from the Religious Base and start pass EQUALITY legislation including marriage! period. That will be LONG time coming.
More postcards. This time let’s send 5 million of them to botox queen Nancy Pelosi reminding her that DOMA must urgently be repealed. It must be repealed NOW!!!! I feel the U.S. congress and president Obama are acting “iffy” on LGBT issues. More postcards until they rot on the congress floor.
If their agenda is “jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs,” it should include repealing DADT and enacting ENDA as well.
What Pelosi said makes sense. Of course there isn’t enough support to repeal DOMA. You guys need to stop bitching about it on your computer and knock on doors, run for office, NETWORK etc. If you really want to effect change.
Attacking Pelosi and other Dems. on this article is ridiculous. All politics are give and take and this is just another example. Instead of being happy that marriage equality has come so far this year, and commenting on the remarkable logic in the gov’t not messing in DC affairs, all you have to spew is vitriol.
Grow up, guys.
Getting rid of DADT should be a priority for the gay community because it teaches discrimination. Not only to new recruits, but to the general population as well. It is not needed and its only purpose is to perpetuate the very prejudice it indulges.
Yes Bill, if jobs are important, not firing gay people seems like an easy way to protect jobs. But prejudice against gay people is so strong, not enough democrats are on board, and most republicans are extremely anti gay. That is why we need to keep the pressure on all of them as well as to continue to educate them and the voters. We have to convince them that we are not a threat, that we mean them no harm and they do not need to continue to harm us. But we have a lot of work left to do. And as Harvey said: “once they realize that we are indeed their children, that we are indeed everywhere, every myth, every lie, every innuendo will be destroyed once and for all.”
Gotta love them Dems!
Are you folk that so blindly follow the Democratic party listening?
“But right now, our agenda is jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs,” said Speaker Pelosi. Meanwhile, gay and lesbian soldiers get THROWN OUT OF JOBS for no other reason than their sexual orientation. Why should Pelosi, Reid, Obama and all the other Democrats contenance adding unnecessarily to the rolls of the unemployed? Why do they treat us with such disregard after we so strongly supported them to get to where they are today? Sounds to me like another Bill-Clinton-esque betrayal of GLBT citizens.
It would be nice to see the Dems act like gay constituents mattered. It’s hard to tell whether the President is following the party’s lead or the other way round, but neither Obama nor the Congressional Dems really seem likely to remove the laws that discriminate against us. The priority is jobs? Lyndon Johnson was able to push economy, expanded social programs, civil rights legislation, NASA missions, and expanded presence in Vietnam ALL AT THE SAME TIME. We’re told by the GOP that we have to accept our legal inferiority, and we’re told by Dems that we have to wait until they hold absolute power before they’ll support us…hey wait…that’s 99% of what the GOP says…