Partner benefits bill advances, but hurdles remain

[The Straight Story]

Partner benefits bill advances, but hurdles remain


A Senate panel on Wednesday advanced legislation that would provide benefits to the domestic partners of gay and lesbian federal employees, but two key senators said they would hold up the bill until the Office of Personnel Management explained how the program would be paid for within existing benefits budgets.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted 8-1 in favor of moving the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (S. 1102), sponsored by Chairman Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and ranking member Susan Collins, R-Maine, to the full Senate.

"I believe this legislation is really on the right side of history," Lieberman said. "The basic point here is federal employees should not have to choose between their commitment to federal public service and their commitment to their families because they get fewer protections for their families than they could receive from private employers."


Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, was the only lawmaker to vote against the measure during the markup, though Sens. George Voinovoich, R-Ohio, ranking member of the committee's Federal Workforce Subcommittee; Tom Coburn, R-Okla.; John McCain, R-Ariz.; Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.; and Mark Pryor, D-Ark., opposed it by proxy ballots. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., cast an affirmative vote by proxy. Proxy ballots are only for the Senate record and do not weigh into whether a bill passes.

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