Reply #91: Here's one look at his stance from net. [View All]

[dutchdemocrat]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/change-links/message/9759

These closeted gay members of Congress consistently cast anti-gay votes. We need to fight this hypocrisy.

These two closeted Members of Congress, Rep. David Dreier (R-CA) and Ed Pease (R-IN), consisently vote against gay people, despite the fact that most other members and Congressional staff know that they are gay. They have recently cast the following anti-gay votes:
Both voted for the Largent amendment (July 29, 1999, Roll Call Vote No. 346) which would have prohibited gay couples in the District of Columbia from adopting children. Luckily, the amendment failed by a close vote of 213 for, 215 against.
Both also voted for the same Largent amendment (August 6, 1998, Roll Call Vote No. 414) when it came up last year. That year, it passed by a vote of 227 for, 192 against.
Pease voted for the Hefley amendment (August 5, 1998, Roll Call No. 398), which would have overturned President Clinton's Executive Order to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in the federal civilian workforce. Dreier showed some spine for a change and voted against it. Luckily, it was defeated by a vote of 176 for, 252 against.
Both worms also voted for the Riggs amendment (July 29, 1998, Roll Call Vote No. 349), which would prevent funds from being used to implement San Francisco's ordinance requiring private companies and organizations contracting with or receiving grants from the City to provide health care benefits to domestic partners of their workers. This amendment passed by a vote of 214 for, 212 against. If these two "profiles in courage" had voted in favor of gay interests, the vote on the amendment would have been a tie and the amendment would have therefore failed. A perfect example of when a closet case can make a difference.
The MOST OUTRAGEOUS thing they have done recently is to have voted against the Hate Crimes bill. The only way that supporters of the Hate Crimes bill have been able to call for a vote on it in the House was through a procedural vote in support the attachment of the Hate Crimes provisions to a defense authorization bill in the Senate. On September 13, 2000, the House passed a "Motion to Instruct" conferees to agree to keep the Hate Crimes provisions added by the Senate in the final version of the defense bill. Although themotion passed by a vote of 232 to 192, these TWO COWARDS, Dreier and Pease,voted against the motion. Eventually, the final version of the bill did not contain the Hate Crimes provisions, despite the fact that a majority of
members in both the House and the Senate voted in favor of them. This is a true testament to the bigotry of the Republican Leadership in Congress.

Both members also voted against a bill to repeal the Boy Scouts' federal charter. This was a vote meant to embarrass Democrats, especially pro-Gay Democrats. Although the vote on the bill was a political stunt and the bill had no chance of passing, Dreier could have used his position as Chairman of the powerful Rules Committee to prevent this type of gay-baiting from
occurring on the House floor.