House Leaders Plot Gay Rights Agenda
June 25, 2009
By Jennifer Bendery and Shira Toeplitz
Roll Call Staff
After five months of virtual inaction on the gay rights agenda, House Democratic leaders on Wednesday met privately to chart out a strategy for advancing the constituency group’s priorities in the 111th Congress.
Headlining the meeting was Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who with her leadership team and the three openly gay Members of Congress — Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) — sought to map out a way forward on several key gay rights bills.
According to sources, the Members discussed workplace discrimination, health care benefits for same-sex partners of federal employees and a repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy that bars gays from openly serving in the military. The lawmakers also discussed how to help the Senate pass hate crimes legislation that has already cleared the House.
The high-level huddle comes less than a week after President Barack Obama threw a bone to the gay community by extending some federal benefits to same-sex couples. It also comes as Democratic candidates in left-leaning states have been embracing key aspects of the gay agenda, including supporting gay marriage.
Members exiting Wednesday’s meeting were mum on what was decided. But stakeholders were clearly optimistic about the prospect of advancing issues important to gays and lesbians, who have grown increasingly frustrated with Obama and Congress over a lack of action on their priorities.
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