The president says that the "unconstitutional and unfair" Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 is limiting how much money he can divert to the homosexuals.
"President Obama continues to expand the government's financial obligations to support his liberal social agenda during a time when this Administration has imposed drastic budget cuts to our military readiness and national security."UPDATE 2/8/15: President Obama Floods Gay Agenda with Taxpayers' Money
-- Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.)
For background, read Congress Battles Obama: Military & Defense of Marriage and also read Obama's Military Fights Christians, NOT Jihadists and read the saga of President Obama's War on Marriage via Judges
UPDATE 2/19/13 Clarification: Only homosexuals are eligible for extended benefits, not heterosexuals
-- From "Pentagon announces extension of benefits to same-sex partners" by Lucy Madison, CBS News 2/11/13
Just weeks after lifting the ban on women in combat, the Defense Department announced yet another groundbreaking decision today, making official the extension of some military benefits to same-sex partners previously denied them.
In a statement, outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said the military would no longer provide some benefits to heterosexual couples while denying them to same-sex partners in the military.
"Seventeen months ago, the United States military ended the policy of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'" Panetta said today in a statement announcing the decision. "At the time of repeal, I committed to reviewing benefits that had not previously been available to same-sex partners based on existing law and policy. It is a matter of fundamental equity that we provide similar benefits to all of those men and women in uniform who serve their country."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Leon Panetta expands gay pairs' benefits" by Carolyn Lochhead, San Francisco Chronicle 2/11/13
The 20 benefits include education, hospital visitation, casualty notification, travel, transportation, identification cards, family counseling, relocation assistance, recreation programs and other benefits that will be available to gay and lesbian couples who sign a declaration attesting to their committed relationship.
[Secretary Panetta said Monday,] "Taking care of our service members and honoring the sacrifices of all military families are two core values of this nation. Extending these benefits is an appropriate next step under current law to ensure that all service members receive equal support for what they do to protect this nation."
Panetta said additional benefits for same-sex couples "will require substantial policy revisions and training" but will be available "as expeditiously as possible."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Partners of Gays in Service Are Granted Some Benefits" by Thom Shanker, New York Times 2/11/13
Full benefits would require the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman. The Pentagon lifted the ban on openly gay men and lesbians serving in the armed forces, but it cannot recognize their marriages, even if they are legal in some states, because military personnel are federal employees covered by the marriage law.
The Supreme Court is expected to rule this summer on whether the law is constitutional.
“Additional benefits, such as health care and housing allowances, are by statute currently only available to spouses and therefore cannot be made available to same-sex domestic partners of service members under current law,” Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta wrote in a letter released by the Pentagon.
“In the event that the Defense of Marriage Act is no longer applicable to the Department of Defense, it will be the policy of the department to construe the words ‘spouse’ and ‘marriage’ without regard to sexual orientation,” he added, “and married couples, irrespective of sexual orientation, and their dependents will be granted full military benefits.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Same-sex military couples to get expanded access to benefits, Pentagon says" by Ernesto Londoño and Craig Whitlock, Washington Post 2/11/13
The Pentagon estimates that about 5,600 active-duty and roughly 3,400 National Guard servicemembers have same-sex spouses [sic].
The biggest lingering question is whether the department might be able to offer on-base housing to same-sex couples. The Pentagon decided not to do so for the time being because on-base housing is scarce and because legal experts worried that doing so could have contravened the “spirit” of the federal marriage law, a defense official told reporters.
News last week about the impending announcement generated supportive statements from Capitol Hill and did not appear to draw significant criticism from groups that have in the past raised concerns about allowing openly gay people to serve in the armed forces.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Senator: DoD Giving Benefits To Same-Sex Partners Creates Costly 'New Class of Beneficiary'" by Craig Bannister, posted at CNSNews.com 2/11/13
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) [said] . . . "The Department of Defense is essentially creating a new class of beneficiary that will increase costs and demand for limited resources that are currently available for military families, active and reserve forces, and retirees."
Inhofe also suggested Obama used semantics to merely give the appearance of respecting the Defense of Marriage Act:
"In a weak attempt to not violate the Defense of Marriage Act, the Administration is using a play on words by saying 'same sex domestic partners' can have access to benefits instead of 'spouses.' We are on a slippery slope here. Why would the DoD extend benefits to same-sex partners and then deny cohabiting heterosexual couples the same benefits?"
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Justice Scalia: No Right to Same-sex 'Marriage'
