quote:

Originally posted by DaleU:
As it states in the article: Democrats lack a veto-proof majority in Congress.

Once Obama takes over office in January (assuming the current administration allows it) I see the repeal of DADT moving rapidly forward.

Nearly everyone supports allowing gays & lesbians to serve honestly: Congress, the American People, even the Joint Chiefs of Staff!

I honestly see DADT going the way of the dodo in 2009.

I fully agree, but it may take until 2010.

Baldwin discusses gay bills in Congressional limbo

Washington elite gather to consider D.P. benefits for federal employees

By CHRIS JOHNSON, Washington Blade | Jun 11, 5:58 PM


The only open lesbian in the U.S. House of Representatives is predicting that in the next session of Congress, bills related to employment non-discrimination and hate crimes will be more successful than legislation aimed at repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”


Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) made the comments today at a Center for American Progress forum geared toward highlighting the importance of the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, which would grant the partners of gay federal employees the same benefits that are available to the spouses of straight counterparts.


Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) joined Baldwin in the panel discussion. Other speakers at the event included former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former U.S. Ambassador to Romania Michael Guest, who resigned his 26-year career as a foreign service officer last year in protest of federal employment practices.


Baldwin said she is “very optimistic” that ENDA and a hate crimes measure would pass Congress next session, particularly if Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, who has supported these initiatives, take the White House.


The congresswoman also said she expects progress on the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act, which has not moved this session from the House and Senate committees to which it had been assigned.


But Baldwin said the success in “repealing discriminatory laws” already on the books “is a little less clear.”


“I think we will see more discretion on those — whether or not it can move to next level of repeal will be a challenge,” she said.


Baldwin told the Blade she did not “have a perfect crystal ball” for what would happen in the next Congress, but said she thinks it would be easier to “hit the ground running” with ENDA and a hate crimes measure as opposed to other initiatives.


She noted that Congress has already taken some action on ENDA and hate crimes this session, so lawmakers are familiar with those issues and more willing to take up the matters again next year.


Baldwin also said there are difficulties in repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the Defense of Marriage Act because some of the lawmakers who voted for these measures in the 1990s are still in Congress.


Smith, who is up for election in Oregon this year, expressed similar sentiments that ENDA and a hate crimes measure would pass Congress when a new president takes over in 2009 — but the senator asserted these acts would pass whether the new chief executive is Obama or Republican candidate John McCain.


Smith, who was recently endorsed by Log Cabin Republicans, said McCain has “been with [him] on a number of gay and lesbian issues,” but did not during the panel discussion mention any issues they agreed upon.


“I know John McCain’s heart,” he said. “I just never found John McCain really hard over on these issues — or ideologically driven on these issues.”


Smith also struggled with words when trying to defend his support for benefits for the partners of gay federal employees as well as his previous support for the Federal Marriage Amendment.


The senator said he voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment because he didn’t want “federal judges to impose it on other states that were voting differently.”


“If states want to democratically go about it, then that’s what they should do, but I do not want a federal judge imposing it on other parts of the jurisdiction,” he said.


Smith noted he has been a “devout Mormon” for 33 years and said if the government starts redefining marriage it could detrimental consequences for some groups.


“If we start defining marriage — we have a long history of doing that in this country — my Mormon pioneer ancestors were the victims of that,” he said. “They were literally driven from the United States in the dead of winter for their religious beliefs. I don’t want that coming back.”


Smith said “tinkering” with the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman would have implications that “are much broader than the gay and lesbian community.”


Both lawmakers expressed their support for Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act during the event.


Smith said “with a new Congress and a new president, the stage is set” and the number of Senate co-sponsors for the bill will grow to get it passed next session.


Baldwin expressed similar optimism that the House would pass the legislation and called congressional action this session “a dress rehearsal” for passage that would come later.


The congresswoman has engaged in correspondence in April and May with the State Department on the matter of giving benefits to the partners of gay foreign service officers.


Under current policy, partners of gay foreign service officers are unable to qualify for safety training and language classes, access to health services, medication in the event of an epidemic, financial assistance in the event of an evacuation, help obtaining visas and assistance with employment opportunities, all of which the State Department grants to those it deems “eligible family members.”


Baldwin’s initial letter talks about what she calls “basic and common-sense policy changes” that would eliminate “inequities facing gays and lesbians at the State Department.”


Albright expressed support for the Domestic Partner Benefits and Obligations Act during a speech opening the discussion.


“We want our country to be represented by the best — and that can’t happen if a whole category of our citizens is subject to discrimination,” she said.

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