House Dems Selling Out Gays? Again.

There is a report that House Conferees on the Defense Authorization Act will scrap the Matthew Shepard Act that was attached to the bill in the Senate.

House Democrats are reportedly resigned to removing the Matthew Shepard Hate Crime bill from defense authorization legislation.

Congressional Quarterly reports that House Democratic leaders believe they lack the votes to pass the measure.

The Shepard Act would add sexuality to the list of categories covered under federal hate crime law.

....

CQ, which covers Capitol Hill extensively, quoted unnamed House aides as saying House members on the conference committee are rewriting the defense bill and will likely recommend leaving out the hate crime provision.

That has apparently sparked differences with Senate conferees who want the Shepard Act to remain. Nevertheless it is expected that a compromise will be reached where the act will not be part of the spending bill.

"It looks like it's got a lot of trouble," George Miller (D-Calif.) told CQ. "so far, nobody's come up with a whip count that says it could pass."

There are a couple problems with this situation. First, it doesn't even make sense. The House of Representatives was able to pass a fully-inclusive stand alone hate crimes bill this year. It defies logic to tell us now that they don't have the votes now that it is attached to the Defense Authorization bill. If anything, it should make it significantly easier to pass.

After all, this is legislation that I'm told is supported by about 80 percent of the public in opinion polls. It's also named after a kid who was beaten to death and has become an icon in American history. But, the Democrats are scared that Bush may veto the bill and they'll get blamed for trying to starve soldiers. There go the Democrats again. Scared of our own shadow.

This is shaping up to be a complete sell-out of any campaign promises that Democrats made to the gay community. Repeatedly, officials within the Democratic Party promised hate crimes legislation and an Employment Non-Discrimination Act. If this report is true, then they are batting ZERO.

Honestly, the Democratic Majority has been a string of disappointments for those who were hungry for change following twelve years of almost exclusive Republican rule on Capitol Hill.

In addition to the disappointing (at best) handling of these issues, it doesn't stop there. In a New York Times editorial on December 2, it became clearer that House Democrats were ready to fund $28 million in abstinence-only programs. That amounts to nothing more than a handout to right-wing groups that are blind to the fact that these programs DO NOT WORK. Further, they completely ignore LGBT youth and specific issues that they need to be aware of.

Not only do Democratic Leaders in Congress need to cease their fear of The Right, they need to start doing the RIGHT things. Thus far, I've been willing to give them time to find their footing and grow into their newly won majority. My patience is wearing thin and so is America's.

The final piece in this puzzle is the effectiveness of gay rights organizations. They raise tens of millions of dollars a year from dedicated activists. Thus far, there is very little to show in Congress that their approach is effective. LGBT leaders need to decide if they are going to be inside the beltway political lobbyists who care more about cocktail parties or whether they are indeed civil rights organizations dedicated to principle. Will they use this as another opportunity to raise money? Or will they go to Capitol Hill and raise hell for being lied to?

We will soon see.

Comments

[jstephenclark]

Lane, I'm disgusted with the House's inability to pass the Defense bill with the Shepard Act, too. But you're political analysis is, frankly, grossly simplistic. As numerous sources have reported, the problem is that a number of very liberal Democrats will not vote for the Defense bill with or without the Shepard Act because they oppose the Iraq War. That means the Defense bill must rely on some Republican members for passage, but they won't support the Shepard Act. You don't serve your readers by misleading them into thinking this is all somehow a deliberate sell-out by House Democrats or incompetence on the part of gay groups in DC. If you're going to provide politic analysis, please understand the political system your purporting to analyze. This turn of events is the frustrating reality of having extremely narrow Democratic majorities in both Houses, a bigot-coddler in the White House, and purist left-wing Democrats who won't succeed in stopping the Defense bill by voting against all versions of it but will ensure that the version that does pass has been stripped of the Shepard Act. The left-wing House Democrats tilting at the Iraq War windmill deserve most of the blame for the removal of the Shepard Act from the Defense bill.

[Dehrenstein]

Remember the ERA?

Then why do you think ENDA has a snowball's chance in Hell?

[massimo1]

Dear Lane,

Of course, we should be outraged. But not surprised. The republicans still run the Congress. That should be obvious now that a year has passed with the Pelosi-Reid non-leadership team in place. Our president has the lowest approval rating of any president ever, the republicans are the minority party, and yet ... some democrats won't even vote as democrats. They just roll over like submissive puppies.

[escobar]

Gay issues are essentially human rights dignity of man issues.
Take a choice, form a gay party take control of the Senate, vote Republican in spite, or widen your benevolence.
The Republicans do not want this passed at all.
The Democrats offer an organized realistic first step on human rights principles.
Stay angry as a motivatonal tool but do not burn bridges. Help them put nose of the camel will under the tent.
All or nothing is nothing at all, in Craig world.

[escobar]

It is a human rights issue, not a sexual one.
Focus your rage with clear heads.
Sexual desires should not define a human being yet it may provide insight to human rights principals.
Are not all human beings entitled to personal dignity?

[realitytrumpsbull]

Who thought you'd ever see the day when ONE
group was left out of legal protection? I guess
if Heather has 2 mommies, then both mommies better be Annie Oakley, same for Adam and Steve...or will these clowns pull a Hitler, and
declare being gay to be a mental illness, and
deprive them of gun rights? All this after
toe-tapper Craig and the rest of these people...
high stupidity, your tax dollar at play!
Remember, you're not just a citizener anymore,
you're a hyphenated-american...didn't Hitler
have this thing for categories, too? Makes
ya wonder...who REALLY won WWII, there? Hmmm...
it would seem that 'equal opportunity' yet
incorporates some institutional inequalities.
Give em another century, maybe they'll 'get it'.

[Qbear]

Don't protect gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people from heinous brutal murders...THEN just shut your holes when we defend OURSLVES!

http://www.pinkpistols.org/

[robotfog]

Weren't transgendered people already screwed over? Join the club.

[Dantheman99]

If you are tired of the Democratic Party triangulating against you as standard operating procedure, you will find yourself welcome in the Lavender Greens. The Green Party doesn't consider your inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, your basic human and civil rights to be treated equally under the law, to be something that is up for negotiation.

You deserve better. Vote Green.

[starboymikey]

As long as we still need to argue about whether it is a hate crime to kill, beat or harrass a GLBT person because of their sexual orientation, we can't truly call ourselves a civilized nation.

As long as a large percentage of our population is willing to deny people basic human rights solely because of their sexual orientation, how are we better than countries that sponsor terrorism against innocents?

It's nothing less than shamefull.

[DCLaw1970]

First, the House sold no one out. And if the Senate is so almighty amazing, then why have they not taken from the desk and passed the Matthew Shepard Act that the House passed with nearly unanimous Democratic support in the spring?

I have repeatedly seen bloggers commenting on the House's failure to live up to the hopes and aspirations of the gay and lesbian community, and yet it is the House--not the Senate--that has passed both ENDA and hate crimes legislation this year. Moreover, the Democratic leadership of the House pushed through both pieces of legislation in the light of day as stand-alone measures, not under the cloak of a defense authorization bill.

So where is the criticism of the Senate? House Democrats get no credit for actually passing civil rights bills that benefit our community, while the Senate wins praise for achieving 60 votes on an amendment to add hate crimes protections to the defense authorization bill. Keep in mind that, when asked to take the House-passed bill from the desk, pass it and send it to the President, the Senate says, "we don't have the votes." Really? Funny, they had 60 votes for the bill when you could hide it in the Pentagon's basement. So where's the criticism of the Senate?

The fact is what may have been a perfect strategy in the Senate was precisely the wrong strategy in the House. The DoD bill would have failed because of problems on both the left (hate crimes proponents who cannot/will not vote to authorize another dime for Iraq or otherwise always oppose the DoD bill) and the right (opponents of hate crimes legislation). Those cross-currents simply could not be overcome in the House.

Again, the Democratic majority in the House has passed BOTH ENDA and hate crimes legislation on their own. The Senate has done neither and, until today, has shown little willingness even to try.

The Democratic leadership of the House is committed to equality, and any person who says otherwise is not examining the House's record this year.

[Qbear]

Democrats in the House...P*SS OFF the LGBT community at your OWN peril, we will FLUSH you in '08, quicker than we FLUSH the Republicans.

[Riverwolf]

You are so right to be angry, however, it's difficult for me to get excited myself anymore. Call me cynical or jaded, but I'm used to hearing promises made to the gay community only for them to be broken. Sometimes I realize there must be short-term sacrifices for long-term gains, and maybe I'm part of the problem. Maybe the Democratic party and others are banking that the majority of gays will back down eventually.

And GLBT organizations? I stopped contributing long ago when I realized that these groups no longer represented me. They were morphing into gay versions of right-wing lobbyists who cry wolf at the slightest provocation, and are more concerned about fundraising and keeping us in fear than admitting that, just maybe, we are making progress in spite of their efforts.

So I focus on the local level instead, my community, my family and friends, where I can have the most impact.

http://idiosyntocracy.blogspot.com/

[jmpurser]

Okay, Jeopardy style: "Tits on a boar"

"What is The Democratic Party Alec?"

[HollywoodBill]

There is an old saying that watching laws being passed is a lot like watching sausage being made. Neither should really be done.

The reality is that a LOT of horse trading goes on in getting bills passed. Some times the votes are there, but often they're not. Gays have a real shot at getting ENDA passed even if it will be vetoed by present management, it is sure to be volatile campaign issue. A Democratically controlled House, Senate and a President who will sign the damned thing is a great goal.

While the Matthew Shephard Bill would be nice, let's not forget that there still are laws in all states for assault and murder. Criminals will still be tried and hopefully convicted for committing these acts against all members of society.

And there will be still cocktail party fundraisers in order to continue furthering causes that we all believe in.