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Sheldon Whitehouse on Civil RightsDemocratic Jr Senator, previously attorney general |
CHAFEE: The federal government has never been involved in marriage issues. So this is a state issue.
WHITEHOUSE: I support the right of states to allow same-sex marriage. It is wrong for the federal government to intervene in what has always been a state issue -- the regulation of marriage. I think it is particularly wrong to amend the Constitution to single out gay people and prevent them from exercising their rights.
A: You can look back to the civil war to see constitutional problems like [amendments that single out gay people]. There was a time when in the US Constitution, black slaves were counted as 3/5ths of a human. It is absolutely wrong for us to use the Constitution to divide Americans. The Constitution, which I revere, gives us as citizens rights against the government. It should never be used by the government to divide us for its own political purposes.
A: I support gay marriage, and believe states and localities should be able to legally recognize them. I will oppose a Federal Marriage Amendment and any attempt to write discrimination into the Constitution. I've backed tougher sentences for hate crimes, and if elected, I fight for real equality for all Americans.
If he's elected to the Senate, he may have an opportunity to vote on a proposed Constitutional amendment promoted by conservatives to define marriage as between one man and one woman. What does Whitehouse, who has a background as a constitutional and civil rights lawyer, think of it? "It's disgraceful that they are trying to push that," he answered. "I would fight as hard as I could to keep that from happening," Whitehouse continued. "It would be one of those things when I was an old grandfather my grandchildren would look up to me and say, 'Grandpa, why did you ever let that happen? Where were you? How could you have done such a thing? I read that in the history books.' That is, if they were not too embarrassed to bring it up with me. It's so shameful."
His campaign had provided a statement endorsing lifting the ban on military service to EDGE for a story on how members of the state's Congressional delegation stand on a repeal bill pending in the House of Representatives. "I think the legislation should go forward and I think we should move towards open status for gays in the military," Whitehouse reiterated. "Right now, as you know, there are hundreds, thousands, if not tens of thousands of gay folks serving courageously and dutifully in the military. That the government should require them to deny their status and pretend to be something other than they are in order to serve their country is a mistake."
Sen. LIEBERMAN: This legislation would require the Government to extend employee benefit programs to the same-sex domestic partners of Federal employees. It is sound public policy and it makes excellent business sense.
Under our bill, Federal employee and the employee's domestic partner would be eligible to participate in benefits to the same extent that married employees and their spouses participate. Employees and their partners would also assume the same obligations that apply to married employees and their spouses, such as anti-nepotism rules and financial disclosure requirements.
The Federal Government is our Nation's largest employer and should lead other employers, rather than lagging behind, in the quest to provide equal and fair compensation and benefits to all employees. That thousands of Federal workers who have dedicated their careers to public service and who live in committed relationships with same-sex domestic partners receive fewer protections for their families than those married employees is patently unfair and, frankly, makes no economic sense.
I call upon my colleagues to express their support for this important legislation. It is time for the Federal Government to catch up to the private sector, not just to set an example but so that it can compete for the most qualified employees and ensure that all of our public servants receive fair and equitable treatment. It makes good economic and policy senses. It is the right thing to do.
SUMMARY: Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2007
"Despite passage of the Equal Pay Act & the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s, discrimination against women continues to permeate the workforce and many areas of the economy. Today, women earn about 77 cents for each dollar earned by men, and the gap is even greater for women of color. More than 60% of working women are still clustered in a narrow range of traditionally female, traditionally low-paying occupations, and female-headed households continue to dominate the bottom rungs of the economic ladder.
"A stronger effort is clearly needed to finally live up to our commitment of full equality. The ERA alone cannot remedy all discrimination, but it will clearly strengthen the ongoing efforts of women across the country to obtain equal treatment.
"We know from the failed ratification experiences of the past that amending the Constitution to include the ERA will not be easy to achieve. But the women of America deserve no less."
