Uniting American Families Act: Congress To Consider Gay Immigration Bill

On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary will meet for a hearing on the Uniting American Families Act.

The proposed bill -- which was introduced earlier this year in the House by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and in the Senate by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) -- would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act so that gay Americans can sponsor their partners for residency.

Same-sex couples who have been affected by the current immigration policy will testify at the hearing.

A 2000 U.S. Census estimated that in the United States there are around 40,000 lesbian and gay couples in which one partner is a U.S. citizen (or permanent resident) and the other a foreign national.

Supporters of the Uniting American Families Act say that the current laws on the books are especially indefensible considering that U.S. immigration policy is built on a commitment to family unification.

If the bill is passed, the United States would become the 20th country to recognize committed same-sex couples as families for immigration purposes. The other 19 include Canada, Brazil, Israel, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, as well as 13 countries in Europe.

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Comments

[superstition]

Obama deputy campaign manager abandons DOMA & DADT as priorities
http://www.americablog.com/2009/07/obama-deputy-campaign-manager-abandons.html

"After two weeks of the Obama White House reeling over the gay backlash caused by the anti-gay DOMA brief, which compared gay marriage to incest and pedophilia, we now have...

First, that the burden for doing anything pro-gay in the remaining three and a half years of the Obama administration is now shifted to Congress. Obama has no role whatsoever, and no power to influence anything, even though he's still the leader of the free world.

Second, the three big gay rights priorities that Congress should be focusing on do not even include what have organically become the community's top two priorities: repealing DOMA and Don't Ask Don't Tell. They're not even mentioned in the Obama deputy's essay."

[Bacellar]

It seems to me that if this pass Genesio Oliveira And Tim Coco won't need to keep waiting for Eric Holder to make up his decision. Why Sen. Patrick Leahy did not included them in the hearing since they have helped spread this issue? I guess when Tim Coco, said " GLAD, Immigration Equality and the American Civil Liberties Union all declined to get involved in the case." http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc3=&id=88879, he was right.
I saw a new video made by Genesio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhHpOwcS2KA that is wonderful. There he quote The president Obama "You said, "You read about some injustice and you say, Thats not right. Some one should fix that. We realize no one else is going to fix it if you don't." and Genesio quote: "With all due respect Mr. President, our situation is not right and you should fix it."
You Should see that. it is beautiful. Covered in goosebumps..
Does anyone know what happened to them?

[Matt Carter]

What a progressive solution! That's almost as easy as JUST REPEALING DOMA. Hypocrites.

[SD Indy]

Isn't that the truth!

[Bacellar]

It seems to me that if this pass Genesio Oliveira And Tim Coco won't need to keep waiting for Eric Holder to make up his decision. Why Sen. Patrick Leahy did not included them in the hearing since they have helped spread this issue? I guess when Tim Coco, said to He " GLAD, Immigration Equality and the American Civil Liberties Union all declined to get involved in the case." http://www.baywindows.com/index.php?ch=news&sc=glbt&sc3=&id=88879, he was right.
I saw a new video made by Genesio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhHpOwcS2KA that is wonderful. There he quote The president Obama "You said, "You read about some injustice and you say, Thats not right. Some one should fix that. We realize no one else is going to fix it if you don't." With all due respect Mr. President, our situation is not right and you should fix it.
You Should see that! It is beautiful. Covered in goosebumps..
Does anyone know what happened to them?

[PlaceboStudman]

I've already written my senator to ask him to vote to pass this if it comes up in full session

[steeplechase1]

Passing the UAFA will have a direct impact on my partner and I. We have been together 2 years, but we will be leaving the U.S. soon because he is not a citizen and cannot find permanent H1-B sponsored employment. If this bill passes and gets signed into law, the stressfull dilema of dealing with his immigration status will be over for us and we can stay here in the states with both of our entire families (his parents and siblings received greencards after he turned 21 so they are all permanent residents in Florida now - it takes 8 years for the current family reunification act to naturalize a family member aged 21 or over). Please pass the UAFA and end the inequality that same sex multinational couples endure. We deserve the same rights as opposite sex couples in long term committed loving relationships.

[GlennInVenice]

I am sorry to hear about your situation. I hope that things change for you both very soon. In the meantime, try to view your predicament as an adventure. You never know where the adventure will take you. Perhaps you will end up in a more progressive nation where you do not have to expend so much energy on fighting bigotry.