Same-sex partner benefits bill is up for consideration
By Andrew Lapin
May 15, 2012 - Government Executive
As President Obama endorses marriage for same-sex couples nationwide, the
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is moving forward
with a same-sex measure of its own for federal employees.
The committee will hold a markup session for the 2011 Domestic Partnership
Benefits and Obligations Act (S.
1910) on Wednesday, which opens retirement, health, transportation and other
benefits to same-sex domestic partners of government workers. Obama has extended
other benefits to these groups in the past.
The bill is co-sponsored by Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.;
ranking member Susan Collins, R-Maine; and 21 other senators, all Democrats. In
addition to the Senate, it also would need to pass the Republican-controlled
House and overcome criticism from lawmakers adhering to the 1996 Defense of
Marriage Act and opposing any increase in federal employee benefits.
As written, the bill would not apply to opposite-sex domestic partners.
Committee spokeswoman Leslie Phillips said such a provision would raise costs
substantially.
gMore importantly, however, is that opposite-sex domestic partners have the
opportunity to get married and obtain benefits, whereas same-sex domestic
partners do not,h Phillips said. She added no senator has yet approached
Lieberman to discuss potential changes to the act.
Though the markup is taking place the week after President Obama publicly
announced his support for same-sex marriage, Phillips said the timing was
gcompletely coincidentalh and the bill is unrelated to issues of marriage.
gWe had planned to mark it up earlier this year, but other business got in
the way,h she said.
A related House bill, introduced by Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., was referred
to the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
in late March.
Also on Wednesdayfs agenda for the Senate oversight committee: markups of
bills that would modernize
the Hatch Act and prevent agency heads from using political information to
hire federal contractors.
By Andrew Lapin
May 15, 2012
http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2012/05/same-sex-partner-benefits-bill-consideration/55752/