Yesterday, LGBT allies in the House and Senate introduced their bills to repeal DOMA. From Chris Johnson at the Washington Blade:
In the House, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) introduced the legislation, known as the Respect for Marriage Act, along with 108 co-sponsors. Among the supporters are the four openly gay members of Congress: Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and David Cicilline (D-R.I.).With Republicans controlling the House, we probably won't see any proactive movement on thee repeal bill. One of the best things we can do is to build the list of cosponsors for Nadler's bill, HR 1116. That list is here. So far, there are 108 (No Republicans.) Check to make sure your member is on board. This will help us find out who are friends are -- and aren't. (We know who really, really hates us. The biggest homophobes are cosponsoring an anti-gay resolution.)
On the same day, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), among the 14 senators who voted against DOMA in 1996, introduced companion legislation in the Senate. Among the 18 co-sponsors of the Senate bill are Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).
Feinstein’s introduction of the bill in the Senate marks the first time that DOMA repeal legislation has been put forward in the upper chamber of Congress since the law’s passage 15 years ago.
The Senate is a different story. Democrats still control -- and the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Patrick Leahy, is one of the original cosponsors. The Senate bill is S. 598. So far it has 18 cosponsors. (No Republicans.)
In the Senate, we need a hearing on the DOMA repeal legislation. I'd encourage Leahy to put all the witnesses under oath, since so many people on the other side tell lies about same-sex couples and marriage. It's going to be quite a struggle to get 60 votes in the Senate. But, a hearing would be an important step in the process.
