The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes bill passed, sent to President Obama

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Senate voted Thursday to extend new federal protections to people who are victims of violent crime because of their sex or sexual orientation, bringing the measure close to reality after years of fierce debate by a vote of 68-29. Senate Approves Broadened Hate-Crimes Measure

Sen. Jon Kyl voted no, Sen. John McCain voted yes.

The measure, attached to an essential military-spending bill, broadens the definition of federal hate crimes to include those committed because of a victim’s gender or gender identity, or sexual orientation. It gives victims the same federal safeguards already afforded to people who are victims of violent crimes because of their race, color, religion or national origin.

Senator Patrick Leahy, Democrat of Vermont and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said afterward. “For nearly 150 years, we have responded as a nation to deter and to punish violent denials of civil rights by enacting federal laws to protect the civil rights of all of our citizens.”

Mr. Leahy sponsored the hate-crimes amendment to the military bill and called its passage a worthy tribute to the late Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, who first introduced hate-crimes legislation in the Senate more than a decade ago.

Federal protections for people who are victims of violent crime because of their sexual orientation have been sought for more than a decade, at least since the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming college student.

The Senate action came two weeks after the House approved the measure, 281 to 146, and would give the federal government the authority to prosecute violent, anti-gay crimes when local authorities failed to.

The legislation now goes to President Obama who has said that he will sign it. Previously, President Bush threatened to veto the Matthew Shepard hate crimes bill if it ever came to his desk.

Maybe Congress can now get around to considering the Bill to Repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Introduced in the House earlier this year by Rep. Ellen Tauscher:

Legislation to repeal a law that bans lesbians and gays from serving openly in the military was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives today.

The Military Readiness Enhancement Act will eliminate the current U.S. military policy, known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue, Don't Harass" (DADT). The policy prohibits anyone who "demonstrate(s) a propensity or intent to engage in homosexual acts" from serving in the military, but places limits on when the military can initiate an investigation into an service member's sexual orientation.

The percentage of Americans who believe that openly gay and lesbian service members should be allowed to serve in the military has increased from 44 percent in 1993, when DADT was introduced, to 75 percent in 2009. More than 12,500 military service members have been discharged under DADT, costing taxpayers more than a quarter billion dollars.

It takes an act of Congress to repeal federal statutory law. It cannot be accomplished by an executive order. President Obama has said that he will sign a repeal of DADT if Congress sends the bill to his desk.

The problem is in Congress, where repeal would require 218 votes in the House and 60 in the Senate [for cloture], votes that have yet to materialize. Tauscher renews effort to repeal 'don't ask':

Opposition is especially intense on the armed services committees, including from former Republican presidential nominee John McCain, R-Ariz.

Since the current policy was implemented in 1993, at least 12,500 lesbian and gay service members have been discharged for violations. These have included Arab linguists, medics and intelligence analysts in short supply. An estimate 65,000 gays and lesbians are believed to be currently serving in the military.