Gay Agenda fallback position: Just in case Obama fails on same-sex "marriage," Congress is moving legislation to transfer millions of dollars to homosexuals in "domestic partnerships."
UPDATE 12/26/09: CBO estimates taxpayer cost at nearly a billion dollars (includes link to CBO report)
-- From "Benefits for same-sex partners are expanding" by Ashley Surdin, Washington Post Staff Writer 11/27/09
With public attention focused largely on battles over whether gay couples should be able to marry, a less-noticed movement to grant health and other benefits to same-sex partners is gaining significant ground across the country in courtrooms, in legislatures and at the ballot box.
. . . in Congress last week, a House committee approved legislation that would provide benefits, including health insurance, retirement and disability, to same-sex partners of federal employees.
"The picture on benefits and domestic partnerships has moved quite dramatically for same-sex couples, but marriage is the issue that has gotten all the attention and energy, so some of that progress has been eclipsed," said Jane Schacter, a law professor at Stanford University. "Certainly, there has been movement on marriage as well, but nothing as much as domestic partnerships."
About 57 percent of Americans oppose granting same-sex marriages legal status, compared with 40 percent who support it, according to a May Gallup poll. But 67 percent of Americans say same-sex domestic partners should have access to health insurance and other benefits, the same poll found.
Even one of the most prominent opponents of same-sex marriage, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has shown willingness to support rights outside of marriage. This month, in a surprise move, the church backed proposed Salt Lake City laws that would prohibit discrimination against gays in housing and employment.
. . . President Obama's memorandum in June that extended a limited set of benefits to same-sex partners, allowing them to be added to long-term-care insurance policies and to use sick leave to care for partners.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Federal Same-Sex Benefits Would Cost Taxpayers $898 Million Over Next Decade" by Fred Lucas, CNSNews Staff Writer 12/22/09
Taxpayers will pay almost $900 million over the next 10 years to extend federal employee benefits to homosexual couples, according to an analysis of “domestic partners” legislation by the Congressional Budget Office. However, supporters of the bill say the costs will be offset in other areas.
President Barack Obama has voiced support for the measure. The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee approved the measure last Wednesday, while the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved a measure last month. The bill still awaits a vote on the floor of both chambers.
The benefits for same-sex couples would include health insurance, survivor annuities, compensation for work-related injuries, disability, family leave, life insurance, dental benefits and travel and relocation benefits that affect the federal budget.
“CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2517 [the House version] would increase direct spending by $596 million through 2019, and that enacting the bill would not have any direct impact on federal revenues,” the CBO estimate released on Thursday said. “Over the same period, CBO estimates that discretionary spending would also increase by $302 million, assuming appropriation of the necessary funds.”
The CBO assumes about 0.33 percent of the federal workforce would choose to register a same-sex domestic partnership if they were given the chance.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
