Amanda Terkel2013-06-19T07:11:57-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=amanda-terkelCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Amanda TerkelGood old fashioned elbow grease.Same-Sex Couples Face Significant Housing Discrimination, Historic Government Study Saystag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-18T13:06:27-04:002013-06-18T17:26:51-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/
The new survey by the Department of Housing and Urban Development is the first-ever study examining housing discrimination against same-sex couples at the national level.
HUD found that same-sex couples were "significantly less likely than heterosexual couples to get favorable responses to e-mail inquiries about electronically advertised rental housing." In fact, heterosexual couples were favored over gay male couples in 15.9 percent of the tests, and over lesbian couples in 15.6 percent.
The survey is based on 6,833 email correspondences in 50 metropolitan markets from June to October 2011. Testers would send two emails to the landlord, each asking about the availability of a rental unit advertised online. The only difference between the two was in the sexual orientation of the interested couple.
HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced the findings on Friday during an event at the agency for HUD GLOBE, the association for federal LGBT employees. In his remarks, he told a story illustrating the different treatment that heterosexual and same-sex couples were given by some rental agents.
"We had a married couple, Christina and Jonathan, ask if a one-bedroom apartment was available. A short time later, an email was sent from Mark and Thomas, clearly identifying themselves as partners, inquiring about the same apartment," he said. "At 2:20 p.m., the rental agent responded to Jonathan and Christina, saying the apartment was still available, and providing his phone number to schedule an appointment. Just one minute later, the rental agent replied to Mark and Thomas, saying, 'I think I have it rented. But I can check back in a day or so.'"
"This is simply wrong. It is unjust, and we as a country cannot stand for it," he added.
Housing discrimination against LGBT individuals is still legal in many states. The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of housing on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or handicap -- but not sexual orientation and gender identity. However, about 20 states and the District of Columbia have enacted legislation with these added protections.
The Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act would add sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status and source of income to those FHA protected classes, but it has not yet been introduced in the 113th Congress.
One of the most interesting findings of the new HUD survey is that discrimination was actually slightly higher against same-sex couples in states with protections for LGBT individuals.
"Several factors could account for this unexpected finding, including potentially low levels of enforcement, housing provider unfamiliarity with state-level protections, or the possibility that protections exist in states with the greatest need for them," HUD concluded.
In 2012, HUD enacted an equal access housing rule, which bars officials at HUD-funded housing units from making decisions based on an applicant's actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. While the HUD equal access rule enacted in 2012 applies only to entities that receive public funds, the HOME Act would prohibit housing discrimination everywhere.
This is a developing story and has been updated.]]>Tom Carper Signs On As 51st ENDA Cosponsortag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-17T13:48:43-04:002013-06-17T14:30:01-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/
On Monday, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) signed on as the bill's 51st cosponsor. The legislation would outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
"Senator Carper believes it is important for federal law to explicitly prohibit workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation -- in the same way that current law addresses race, sex or religion -- in order to ensure that all Americans are protected equally under the law," said Carper spokesman Ian Sams.
When asked why Carper decided to sign on now, Sams added, "There's nothing significant about the timing of his cosponsorship since he's cosponsored the bill before, but he's pleased to be the 51st senator to sign on in this Congress, as it means a majority of senators stand ready to pass this important legislation."
Last week, both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) signed on as ENDA cosponsors.
Although the legislation now has majority support, it will need more votes in order to reach the 60-vote threshold to avoid a filibuster.
Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) are the only two Republican cosponsors of ENDA. The Democrats who are not currently signed on are Sens. Tim Johnson (S.D.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Mark Pryor (Ark.) and Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.).
Reid said he expects the Senate will "soon" take up ENDA. The bill has been reintroduced in several Congresses and has gotten some hearings, but it hasn't had a vote on the House or Senate floor since November 2007, when it passed the House by 235-184. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) introduced ENDA in the current Congress.
Merkley spokesman Jamal Raad told The Huffington Post last week that they expect a markup on ENDA in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee soon after Congress reconvenes following the July 4 recess.
Many LGBT activists have been frustrated that President Barack Obama has refused to issue an executive order barring discrimination by federal contractors based on sexual orientation or gender identity, while ENDA remains stuck in Congress.
An activist with the group GetEQUAL recently interrupted a speech by first lady Michelle Obama to demand action on this front. Eight activists with the group were arrested on Thursday during a protest at the office of House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).]]>OFA Launches Obamacare Ad Campaigntag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-17T09:52:22-04:002013-06-17T10:48:29-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/seven-figure ad campaign promoting Obamacare, as the administration works to convince more Americans to sign up for health care under the president's signature law.
"Americans are already seeing the benefits," says the narrator in the new spot, which is the first in a series of ads that will air on the Affordable Care Act. It touts more wellness visits for seniors, rebates from health insurance companies and tax credits for small businesses.
"Better coverage and lower costs, that's what Obamacare means for them," adds the narrator.
OFA announced in a press release on Monday that it will also be kicking off "a parallel education effort on the ground in the coming weeks" with the help of more than 800 summer fellows.
Some of Obamacare's provisions are already in place -- such as the one that allows young people to stay on their parents' health insurance longer. But the administration is working to educate the public in advance of Oct. 1, when the rest of Americans can begin shopping for 2014 health benefits on state exchanges established under the law. ]]>Rick Perry Vetoes Texas Equal Pay Billtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-14T16:43:36-04:002013-06-15T11:27:55-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/
An aide to state Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D), who authored the equal pay bill, HB 950, said Perry's office called on Friday to say he had vetoed it. State Sen. Wendy Davis (D), who introduced the Senate version of the legislation, told the Texas Tribune that she had received the same call.
In a statement, Thompson said she was "deeply disappointed" and "heartbroken."
"Women will still have to struggle to receive their equal pay for their equal work," she said.
The bill would bring Texas state law in line with the federal Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which makes it easier for women to sue employers over wage discrimination. It cleared the state House in late April, and the Senate passed its version in late May.
In his veto statement posted online Friday evening, Perry said he objected to the bill because it "duplicates federal law, which already allows employees who feel they have been discriminated against through compensation to file a claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission." He also said he was concerned that it could lead to more regulations and hurt job creation.
According to the Houston Chronicle, Thompson said Perry's office objected to her legislation because it duplicated federal law. The governor's office did not return a request for comment from The Huffington Post, and a veto statement was not yet available online.
But the backers of HB 950 have pointed out that their legislation would allow parties to proceed on cases in a nearby state court, instead of having the increased expense of having to go to federal court. Lilly Ledbetter protections also do not always apply to certain state cases.
Forty-two states have passed equal pay laws similar to the one Perry vetoed. Women currently make only 77 cents for every dollar men earn.
This article was updated with Perry's veto statement.]]>Trent Franks Fundraises In Wake Of Controversial Rape Remarktag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-14T10:39:10-04:002013-06-14T12:19:29-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/incredibly rare for women to become pregnant from rape, he has been under fire from women's rights groups, Democrats and even some members of his own party. Instead of running from his remarks, however, he's attempting to cash in and raise money out of the controversy.
"NARAL, Planned Parenthood and the taxpayer-funded abortion lobby is attacking me for one reason -- I'm 100 percent unapologetically pro-life and I won't back down," he wrote in an email to supporters on Thursday, according to the Arizona Republic. "Will you contribute $25, $50, $100, or even $500 right now to help me fight back?"
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, Franks said he opposes abortion access even for rape victims because "the incidence of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low." The congressman is pushing a bill that would ban abortion after 20 weeks nationwide, with no exception for rape victims.
His comments, however, are not scientifically accurate. Medical experts agree that rape does not lower the incidence of pregnancy, with one study by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology finding that more than 30,000 pregnancies result from rape in the United States each year.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said Franks' comments showed an "alarming disregard for women." The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sent an email saying Franks' remark was "reprehensible and utterly false" and asked for donations to its "Women's Health Rapid Response Fund." And on Thursday, NARAL sent out an action alert based on Franks' bill and followed up with a fundraising email on Friday morning.
Even members of Franks' own party have condemned his remarks. Massachusetts GOP Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez called Franks a "moron." Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) said the fact that an all-male House Judiciary Committee panel voted to advance Franks' anti-abortion bill was a show of "staggering" "stupidity."
Franks has defended his remarks, saying he was taken out of context. He told the Arizona Republic that he meant that the number of pregnancies resulting from rape and carried past 20 weeks is low.
"Usually, if a victim of rape intends to abort, she doesn't wait for the child to enter the sixth month," Franks said. "Once this bill engages, the question of rape or incest has long since been dealt with in almost every case."]]>8 LGBT Protesters Arrested Outside John Boehner's Officetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-13T13:16:33-04:002013-06-13T14:39:36-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/
The sit-in was arranged by the group GetEQUAL, which also recently interrupted first lady Michelle Obama's speech at a fundraiser.
Eight individuals, including one of Boehner's constituents, went into Boehner's office on Thursday morning and asked for a meeting with either the speaker or his staff on ENDA, which would bar employers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
A Boehner aide came out and agreed to hear their concerns, at first attempting to move the meeting into the hallway. When they refused, they stood in the lobby and told their stories of why they want the discrimination to end.
"I'm happy to pass along your concerns to the speaker, that you did stop by the office today. We appreciate you coming by. Thanks so much for stopping by," said the aide, who then left the room and shut the door.
The protesters then sat down on the floor and loudly chanted, "We are somebody! We deserve full equality! Right here! Right now!" until they were moved into the hallway by Capitol police. They continued to shout, receiving two more warnings. Then, one by one, they were handcuffed and arrested. Those who refused to stand up were dragged outside.
Boehner's spokesman did not return a request for comment.
Sean Watkins, 29, is an Iraq War veteran from Boehner's district and was among the protesters arrested Thursday. He experienced workplace discrimination firsthand when a picture of him and his boyfriend on his desk raised complaints.
"After graduating college, I can remember having an office job and putting a picture of myself and my boyfriend on my desk and being called into my supervisor's office. They had a nondiscrimination policy in place, but they still told me there were concerns I was flaunting my sexual orientation," he told The Huffington Post prior to the protest. "My response was, 'Well, if I have to take this picture down, then every heterosexual picture of a couple in this company has to come down as well, because you have workplace protections in place.' That's not the case for millions and millions of LGBT folks everywhere."
Texas resident Tiffani Bishop, a student at ITT Tech who served in the U.S. Navy, was also arrested. She too has personally experienced job discrimination.
She told The Huffington Post that she believes her supervisors at her previous job actively tried to get her fired because of her sexual orientation.
"I don't want to be looking over my shoulder anymore. I want to be able to find work and be judged solely on the merits of my job performance," she said. "Usually during the interview process, I will ask if they have a policy in place that protects LGBT workers, and nine times out of 10, they do not. But not only that, I've found myself getting really, really nervous when asking that, because just asking can get me denied a job."
Both Watkins and Bishop said they found it frustrating that gay service members could now serve openly, but are then forced back into the closet when they leave the military and return to civilian life.
LGBT groups have been disappointed that President Barack Obama has refused to issue an executive order that would bar federal contractors from discriminating against LGBT individuals -- a move that would affect 22 percent of the U.S. civilian workforce. Ellen Sturtz, the GetEQUAL activist who interrupted the first lady, was protesting over this issue.
Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin recently told BuzzFeed that no one has "given me directly any reason that it has not yet happened or that it couldn't or shouldn't happen."
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) has introduced the Senate version of ENDA, and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) has done so in the House. Reid said on Monday that he expects the Senate will "soon" take up the legislation. The bill has been reintroduced in several Congresses and has received some hearings, but it hasn't had a vote on the House or Senate floor since November 2007, when it passed the House by a vote of 235-184.]]>Joe Manchin Targeted By NRA In New Adtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-12T17:21:02-04:002013-06-13T09:27:53-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/
Manchin earned the NRA's ire when he partnered with Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and pushed to strengthen and expand background checks for gun sales.
"Now, Manchin is working with President Obama and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Concerned? You should be," says the ad's narrator. "Tell Sen. Manchin to honor his commitment to the Second Amendment and reject the Obama-Bloomberg gun control agenda."
The TV spot launched Wednesday and urges viewers to call Manchin's office and tell him "to honor his commitment to the Second Amendment."
Despite the love lost between the NRA and Manchin, the senator remains a member of the gun lobby group.
"Why would I quit when I'm trying to change from within?" he said in April, shortly after his bipartisan legislation failed in the Senate.
Manchin has said that the NRA's decision to score the background checks vote was the main reason it failed. Without it, he argued, 70 senators -- well above the 60-vote threshold needed -- would have supported it.
Despite the NRA ad's claim, Manchin has actually been quite critical of Bloomberg and his group Mayors Against Illegal Guns, saying he wishes they would help educate voters about his legislation rather than air ads attacking lawmakers who didn't vote for the compromise.
According to the New York Times, Bloomberg is now asking Democratic donors to withhold contributions to the four Democratic senators who voted against background checks. The NRA, meanwhile, has been throwing its support behind the senators who voted against the measure.
UPDATE: 6/13/13 -- Statement from Manchin on the ad:
The Washington NRA could spend one hundred million dollars on ads against me; it still won’t make what they say true. If they were honest with their members they would see that my bill not only protects 2nd Amendment rights, it enhances and strengthens them.
Unfortunately, the NRA leadership in Washington has lost its way and is more concerned about political power than gun rights and gun safety. I am the same proud gun owner and NRA member that I have always been and I believe that criminal and mental background checks are a commonsense approach to protect our neighbors and children without infringing on our 2nd Amendment rights. I think most NRA members agree with me.
]]>Heidi Heitkamp Signs On As ENDA Cosponsortag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-11T11:03:28-04:002013-06-11T17:23:26-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced the bill in the Senate on April 25, and with the inclusion of Heitkamp, there are now 49 cosponsors.
Heitkamp quietly signed on as a cosponsor June 7, with no public notice. A Democratic aide confirmed Heitkamp's inclusion to The Huffington Post. Her office did not immediately return a request for comment.
Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) are the only two Republican cosponsors of ENDA. The Democrats who are not currently signed on are Sens. Tim Johnson (S.D.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Mark Pryor (Ark.) and Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.). Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) does not cosponsor bills, but he is a vocal supporter of the legislation. Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) also signed on as a cosponsor on June 3.
Reid said on Monday that he expects the Senate will "soon" take up ENDA. The bill has been reintroduced in several Congresses and has gotten some hearings, but it hasn't had a vote on the House or Senate floor since November 2007, when it passed the House by 235-184. Merkley and Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) introduced ENDA in the current Congress.
When asked for reaction to Heitkamp's inclusion, Merkley spokesman Jamal Raad said, "Support for ENDA is growing. It has more cosponsors than ever before, and senators who have never cosponsored before are signing on this time around. The time is now for the Senate to end LGBT employment discrimination. Senator Merkley thanks Leader Reid for committing to move ENDA forward soon and for his leadership on LGBT issues."
He added that they expect a markup in the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee soon after Congress reconvenes following the July 4 recess.
Until recently, Heitkamp was one of only a handful of Democratic senators who did not support marriage equality. But on April 5, she came out in favor.
Speaking with The Huffington Post in the Capitol, Heitkamp said her cosponsorship of ENDA rose out of her "long history of favoring state legislation that would prohibit discrimination in housing and employment."
Heitkamp tied her comments to the reason she came out for same-sex marriage and the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, saying she wanted to stop discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.
"I don't believe in any form of discrimination. It's not about gay rights, it's about the constitutional rights that human beings have," she said.
When asked why she decided to cosponsor with so little fanfare, she replied, "I had a conversation with Jeff Merkley, he asked me to consider it. I didn't even know the bill was there. I told him absolutely, I would. And we signed on the bill. And we sign on bills every day and don't make public announcements about them. ... I didn't think it was that, you know, earth-shattering."
On Monday, The Huffington Post also caught up with some of the senators who have not yet signed on. Several of them seemed unfamiliar with the details of the legislation.
Manchin said he was looking at it "very favorably" but said he had not yet gone through the bill in detail. Rockefeller said he would "like to have a chance to look at it."
Many LGBT activists have been frustrated that President Barack Obama has refused to issue an executive order to bar discrimination by federal contractors based on sexual orientation or gender identity, while ENDA remains stuck in Congress.
This post has been updated with additional comments from senators.
Jennifer Bendery, Ryan Grim and Danielle Schlanger contributed reporting.]]>Russ Feingold For Senate In 2016?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-10T18:04:59-04:002013-06-10T18:21:53-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/
Feingold spoke to party faithful on Friday at the state Democratic convention in Oconomowoc, Wis.
Feingold lost his seat in 2010, when Republicans swept the midterm elections. He was beaten by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who will be up for reelection in 2016. Feingold's comments at the convention, however, ruled out a run against Gov. Scott Walker (R) in 2014. Washington Post blogger Jennifer Rubin wrote on Monday that Feingold would be a good choice for Democrats for president in 2016.
The progressive senator's legacy has reemerged in recent days in the debate over civil liberties and the National Security Agency's data collection. In 2001, he was the only senator to vote against the Patriot Act. ]]>Jay Carney Refuses To Discuss Edward Snowden, But Says Obama Is Open To 'Debate' (VIDEO)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-10T17:22:37-04:002013-06-10T20:28:18-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/The Guardian's source of confidential National Security Agency documents, while also repeatedly assuring the press that President Barack Obama welcomes debate on these issues.
During his daily briefing, Carney said from the start that he wouldn't comment on Snowden. He wouldn't even say his name.
"There is obviously an investigation underway into this matter, and for that reason, I cannot discuss specifically this individual or this investigation," he said. "Nor would I characterize the president's view on an individual or an ongoing investigation."
But despite his silence on the subject -- and at a time when National Intelligence Director James Clapper is describing those leaks as "reprehensible" and "literally gut-wrenching" -- Carney insisted that Obama actually does want a debate on an issue that nobody in his administration seems to want to talk about.
(Watch Carney calling for debate while declining to discuss Snowden in the video above.)
The president believes "it is an absolutely appropriate topic for debate, both now and going into the future," Carney said.
Moments later, he said it again: "This is a matter that is absolutely appropriate for public debate."
And again: The president thinks this is "a debate especially worth having here in the United States, but obviously beyond as well."
And then, again: Obama "believes that it is entirely appropriate to debate these matters as we find the appropriate balance between our national security interests and ... people's right to privacy."
"He welcomes a debate," Carney added. "Certainly if that debate were to lead to building a consensus around changes, he would look at that."
Of course, there was never any mention of how, when or where such a debate would take place. Carney demurred when asked if Obama would try to facilitate some kind of public discussion on the matter.
The reason this issue is now in the public eye is because Snowden leaked the classified documents, but Carney insisted it was the White House that started the debate. He pointed to the national security speech Obama delivered two weeks prior to the leaks -- even though that speech did not touch on the subsequent revelations.
One thing is clear, though.
"This is not the manner by which he'd hoped to have this debate," Carney said.]]>NRA Thanks Heidi Heitkamp For Voting Against Background Checks In New Mailertag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-10T14:04:47-04:002013-06-10T15:03:23-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/
Last month, Heitkamp was one of just four Democratic senators who sided with the vast majority of Republicans to shoot down a bipartisan proposal to strengthen and expand background checks for gun purchases.
According to the Forum News Service, the NRA recently sent out the mailer to all its North Dakota members, urging them to contact Heitkamp's office and thank her for her vote.
"The NRA thinks that Sen. Heitkamp is a profile in courage and common sense. She listens to her constituents," NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said in a statement to the paper. The senator has an A rating from the gun lobby group.
The NRA did not return a request for a copy of the mailer.
Heitkamp spokeswoman Whitney Phillips also said that the senator has received an "outpouring" of support.
In her statement explaining why she was opposing the bipartisan background checks legislation, Heitkamp said, "I've been adamant from the very beginning of this conversation that the focus should be on mental health issues, full and accurate reporting into the NICS database and ensuring that we are prosecuting criminals in possession of or trying to possess firearms. This conversation should be about what is in people’s minds, not about what is in their hands."
In March, Heitkamp criticized Mayors Against Illegal Guns for running an ad in North Dakota encouraging the senator to vote for background checks.
Both MAIG and the NRA have launched ads either targeting or supporting senators in the wake of last month's vote. ]]>Edward Snowden Is A Ron Paul Supportertag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-10T09:46:14-04:002013-06-11T11:02:16-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/biggest national security leaks in U.S. history, is a fan of former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).
According to campaign finance reports, Snowden donated $250 to the libertarian's presidential campaign twice in 2012. Paul has long railed against government secrecy and intrusion into private life.
Snowden told The Guardian that he voted for a third-party candidate in 2008, although he was optimistic about President Barack Obama's promises.
"A lot of people in 2008 voted for Obama. I did not vote for him. I voted for a third party," he said. "But I believed in Obama's promises. I was going to disclose it [but waited because of his election]. He continued with the policies of his predecessor."
In a statement sent out Monday afternoon, Paul praised both Snowden and Guardian journalist Glen Greenwald: “We should be thankful for individuals like Edward Snowden and Glenn Greenwald who see injustice being carried out by their own government and speak out, despite the risk. They have done a great service to the American people by exposing the truth about what our government is doing in secret."
The Guardian broke the news last week -- based on documents from Snowden -- that the NSA has been collecting millions of phone records of Verizon customers.
"I wish I could say I was shocked at the reports the NSA is secretly spying on the private phone calls of millions of Verizon customers," said Paul in a statement. "However, this is a predictable result of a government that continues to erode our liberties while promising some glimmering hope of security."
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced a bill on Friday that would prevent the government from obtaining the phone records of Americans without "a warrant based on probable cause."
This story has been updated with a statement from Ron Paul.]]>Watch The One Senator Who Voted Against The Patriot Act Warn What Would Happen (VIDEO)tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-07T12:21:40-04:002013-06-07T14:05:57-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/the National Security Agency seized millions of Verizon customers' phone records through a secret court order, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), one of the authors of the legislation that opened the door to this practice, said he was stunned.
"I do not believe the released FISA order is consistent with the requirements of the Patriot Act," Sensenbrenner wrote in a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder. "How could the phone records of so many innocent Americans be relevant to an authorized investigation as required by the Act?"
One provision that troubles me a great deal is a provision that permits the government under FISA to compel the production of records from any business regarding any person, if that information is sought in connection with an investigation of terrorism or espionage.
Now we're not talking here about travel records pertaining to a terrorist suspect, which we all can see can be highly relevant to an investigation of a terrorist plot. FISA already gives the FBI the power to get airline, train, hotel, car rental and other records of a suspect.
But under this bill, the government can compel the disclosure of the personal records of anyone -- perhaps someone who worked with, or lived next door to, or went to school with, or sat on an airplane with, or has been seen in the company of, or whose phone number was called by -- the target of the investigation.
And under this new provisions all business records can be compelled, including those containing sensitive personal information like medical records from hospitals or doctors, or educational records, or records of what books someone has taken out of the library. This is an enormous expansion of authority, under a law that provides only minimal judicial supervision.
(Watch the video above.)
On Thursday, Feingold put out a statement about the Guardian's report, saying, "In 2001, I first voted against the PATRIOT Act because much of it was simply an FBI wish list that included provisions allowing our government to go on fishing expeditions that collect information on virtually anyone."
"Today's report indicates that the government could be using FISA in an indiscriminate way that does not balance our legitimate concerns of national security with the necessity to preserve our fundamental civil rights," he added. "This is deeply troubling. I hope today's news will renew a serious conversation about how to protect the country while ensuring that the rights of law-abiding Americans are not violated."]]>Jay Carney: Michelle Obama Handled Heckler 'Brilliantly'tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-05T14:45:27-04:002013-06-05T17:35:46-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/
"It's my personal opinion that she handled it brilliantly," Carney told reporters on Wednesday, adding that he had not asked the president what he thought.
At a private Democratic National Committee fundraiser on Tuesday, a protester with the pro-LGBT rights group GetEQUAL interrupted the first lady's speech and demanded equality for gays and lesbians.
"One of the things that I don't do well is this," Obama replied to loud applause. She left the lectern and approached the protester, inviting the woman to "listen to me, or you can take the mic, but I'm leaving. You all decide. You have one choice."
The crowd shouted that they wanted Obama to stay, and the protester was then escorted out.
The protester was GetEQUAL activist Ellen Sturtz, 56. She was calling for an executive order to bar discrimination by federal contractors based on sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBT groups have been disappointed that President Barack Obama has refused to issue such an order, while the Employment Non-Discrimination Act -- which would prohibit such discrimination in hiring more broadly -- remains stuck in Congress.
Reaction to Obama's confrontation has been mixed. Conservative commentator John Podhoretz gave her kudos, tweeting, "Self-righteous, morally preening protestors need to have it stuffed back in their faces." New York Times columnist Nick Kristof, however, wrote that it was "not her finest moment."]]>Michelle Obama DNC Fundraiser Speech Interrupted By LGBT Protestertag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//2013-06-04T20:52:35-04:002013-06-06T17:39:38-04:00Amanda Terkelhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-terkel/
About 12 minutes into Obama's 20-minute speech, a woman standing at the front of the crowd began yelling for an executive order on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights.
"One of the things that I don't do well is this," replied Obama to loud applause. She left the lectern and approached the protester, inviting the woman to "listen to me, or you can take the mic, but I'm leaving. You all decide. You have one choice."
The crowd shouted that they wanted Obama to stay, and one woman near the protester said, "You need to go!"
The protester was then escorted out, saying she wanted "federal equality before I die."
Heather Cronk, co-director of the pro-LGBT rights group GetEQUAL, said the protester was Ellen Sturtz, 56, one of the organization's activists.
Sturtz was calling for an executive order to bar discrimination by federal contractors based on sexual orientation or gender identity. LGBT groups have been disappointed that President Barack Obama has refused to issue such an order, while the Employment Non-Discrimination Act -- which would prohibit such discrimination in hiring more broadly -- remains stuck in Congress.
In an interview later with The Huffington Post, Sturtz, a divorced lesbian, said she didn't go to the event intending to interrupt Obama. She said she instead planned to reach out to someone from the DNC about her concerns. But as the first lady urged the audience to make the country a better place for the next generation, Sturtz said she decided to speak up.
"I want to talk about the children," she said. "I want to talk about the LGBT young people who are ... being told, directly and indirectly, that they're second-class citizens. I'm tired of it. They're suffering. ... We've been asking president to sign that ENDA executive order for five years. How much longer do we need to wait?"
Sturtz donated to the DNC in 2008, she said, in large part because she believed the president would fight to end workplace discrimination. She said she was disappointed in the first lady's response at the fundraiser.
"Basically, I was asked by the first lady to be quiet, and I can't be quiet any longer. ... I was surprised by how negative the crowd seemed to be. It was actually a little unsettling and disturbing," said Sturtz.
"She obviously thought she was going to make an example of me or something. I wasn't scared at all," she added.
Cronk said there were three other GetEQUAL activists at the event.
One was Autumn Leaf, 22, who interrupted DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's (D-Fla.) speech beforehand, also calling for the executive order.
Leaf said Wasserman Schultz replied that the way to get ENDA passed was to help Democrats retake the House.
He said he was "disappointed" in Obama's reaction to Sturtz and surprised she "approached Ellen as aggressively as she did."
The DNC fundraiser on Tuesday took place in the backyard of the home of donors Karen Dixon and Nan Schaffer in Washington. Tickets for the event ranged from $500 to $10,000, according to a DNC official, although Cronk said there was also a $100 student/young professional rate that several of the GetEQUAL activists qualified for.
Obama's main thrust in her speech was to urge donors to stay engaged and back the president's agenda, even though there's no presidential election coming up.
"That is why it is simply not enough to just elect a president every four years," she said. "We need you to be engaged in every election -- every election -- because special elections matter. Mid-term elections really matter. It matters who we send to Congress. It matters. And if you don't believe me, just look at the record. Look at the difference just a few votes in Congress can make when it comes to the issues that we say we care about."
This article has been updated with additional information.]]>