Senate to convene first-ever hearing on gay immigration equality

[WillParkinson]

Senate to convene first-ever hearing on gay immigration equality

(Washington, DC) On Wednesday morning, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold the first-ever Congressional hearing on obstacles faced by lesbian and gay couples under U.S. immigration law.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the committee, has scheduled a 10 a.m. hearing on the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). The bill, sponsored by Leahy in the Senate and Congressman Jerold Nadler (D-NY) in the House, would modify immigration policy to end discrimination against lesbian and gay Americans who want to sponsor their permanent partners for residency in the United States.

Such couples are often separated, or torn apart, because current U.S. law does not allow for the same sponsorship rights for lesbian and gay citizens as for heterosexuals.

“Every day, an estimated 36,000 binational couples, nearly half of whom are raising children, are facing separation, or already living separately, because our country refuses to treat them equally under the law,” said Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality. “These loving, committed families are faced with an untenable choice between the person they love and the country they love. Many are forced to uproot their lives and leave their extended families, jobs and communities behind. It is long past time that Congress fixed our broken immigration system, including this pervasive discrimination against so many families. Senator Leahy’s hearing, coming just as President Obama and Congress prepare to address comprehensive immigration reform, is a step in the right direction.”


http://www.365gay.com/news/senate-to-convene-first-ever-hearing-on-gay-immigration-equality/

[joeybee12]

1. Now THIS is change...

...good news.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

2. indeed.

[Creideiki]

4. Change initiated by Congress.

If people want to say that Obama can't be held responsible for repeal of DADT and DOMA or passage of ENDA, then he gets no credit when Congress passes things like Hate Crimes legislation.

Granted, this makes Obama many times better than McCain. (But as any math teacher will tell you, a billion times zero is still zero.)

[joeybee12]

5. Oh yeah, it's Congress, not Obama...

...and part of his rationale for not ending DADT is that he says legislation is needed...in other words, he wants them to do the work for him.

[pinto]

3. Good to see.

:thumbsup: