This page contains bill sponsorships in the Senate and House. Bill sponsorships indicate the topics that legislators are most interested in, and spend the most time on.

15_H238 on Jan 9, 2015

Supporters reasons for voting YEA: (by Human Rights Campaign, hrc.org): This bill would fix wording in the Copyright Act that currently prevents some same-sex couples from receiving inheritance rights. Because of restrictions in current law, some agencies--including the Copyright Office and the Social Security Administration--do not recognize same-sex couples living in states without same-sex marriage equality.

Background: (Wikipedia.com on "U.S. v. Windsor"): Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer, a same-sex couple residing in New York, were lawfully married in Canada, in 2007. Spyer died in 2009, leaving her entire estate to Windsor. Windsor sought to claim the federal estate tax exemption for surviving spouses. She was barred from doing so because the IRS said the exemption only applies to heterosexual couples under the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and compelled her to pay $363,053 in estate taxes. The Supreme Court rules 5-4 to overturn DOMA as unconstitutional. [This bill applies that Supreme Court ruling to copyright law].

Opponents reasons for voting NAY: (PopVox blog postings on H.R.238 & S.23):

• OK-3: My concern is that our government believes that just a few more laws and a few more bills and freedom will be perfected. Stop shoving immoral activity down our throats and telling us it's normal and lawful.
• WV-1: I oppose H.R. 238 because it's not necessary.
• KY-3: I oppose S.23 because if the spouse remarried, they aren't a widow/widower anymore.

Participating counts on VoteMatch question 3. Question 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage Scores: -2=Strongly oppose; -1=Oppose; 0=neutral; 1=Support; 2=Strongly support.
• Topic: Technology
• Headline: Apply copyright inheritance to same-sex couples (Score: 2)
• Headline 2: Apply copyright inheritance to same-sex couples (Score: 2)
  
  Participating counts on AmericansElect question 7.
• Headline: Apply copyright inheritance to same-sex couples (Answer: C)
• Headline 2: Apply copyright inheritance to same-sex couples (Answer: C)
• AmericansElect Quiz Question 7 on Social Issues: When you think about the rights of same-sex couples, which of the following is closest to your personal opinion?
  • A: Same-sex couples should not be allowed to marry or form any kind of civil union
  • B: Same-sex couples should be allowed to form civil unions, but not to marry in the traditional sense
  • C: Same-sex couples should be allowed to marry legally, with all the same rights as traditional marriages
  • D: Unsure
  
  
  
• Key for participation codes:
• Sponsorships: p=sponsored; o=co-sponsored; s=signed
• Memberships: c=chair; m=member; e=endorsed; f=profiled; s=scored
• Resolutions: i=introduced; w=wrote; a=adopted
• Cases: w=wrote; j=joined; d=dissented; c=concurred
• Surveys: '+' supports; '-' opposes.