241 members of Congress just announced [may 2, 2017] their support for full LGBT equality...

Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation in places of public accommodation.

News story:
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2017/05/democrats-take-stand-lgbtq-rights-reintroducing-equality-act/

LGBTQ/Jeff Taylor   05/02 /2017

The bill's details
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3185

This is both great news, and, at the same time, it isn't.

You can get information about the legislation and follow its progress at this Congressional website:
https://www.congress.gov/search?q={%22congress%22:%22115%22,%22source%22:%22legislation%22,%22search%22:%22sexual%20orientation%22}&searchResultViewType=expanded

The news that 241 members of Congress are in favor of the Equality Act makes it seem as if the bill is going to be passed.  (After all, the disastrous "Trumpcare" health insurance bill just passed the House of Representatives with just 217 votes.)  But just looking at the total number (241) is misleading due to the bicameral nature of the US Congress.  There are two separate houses of Congress that need to pass legislation.

So we're dealing with TWO different bills here.  The Senate bill is S.1006.  It was introduced by Senator Jeff Merkely of Oregon, and is cosponsored by 45 other senators.  The cosponsors are 43 Democrats, plus the two Independents, Angus King of Maine and Bernie Sanders of Vermont.  NOT ONE SINGLE REPUBLICAN SENATOR cosponsors this bill.

Since Republicans have the majority in the Senate, the chance of S.1006 being passed is remote.

By the way, since almost all of the Democrats signed onto S.1006, it's only fair to point out for special disgrace the two Democrats who would NOT cosponsor the bill: Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Joe Donnelly of Indiana.  Seriously!  What's wrong with these guys?

Moving to the House of Representatives, our bill is H.R.2282, introduced by Representative David Cicilline of Rhode Island.  194 other members signed on.  193 of these are Democrats.

Although Republicans control the House, ONLY ONE REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE (out of 238!) cosponsors H.R. 2282.

Thank you to Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida - the ONLY Republican in either house of Congress to cosponsor the Equality Act!

As with the Senate, since Republicans hold the majority in the House, the chance of this legislation passing is remote.

I guess I think the good news here is that the opposition party, while out of power is sponsoring meaningful legislation, not simply obstructing.

In 8 years of Obama the Republicans became known for dozens of ACA repeal bills, all stillborn failure to even consider a scotus nominee etc etc. Nearly 4 months in power and they still haven't fulfilled any promises except confirming a scotus pick who met their every litmus test and they had to make a rules change to do that.

God help them in the mid terms, (they're gonna need her because nobody else is gonna be lifting a finger).

FYI

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen has a transgender son, Rodrigo, who is active in our defense out of San Francisco, unfortunately she has announced that she will be retiring after this term is over.

She has been vocal about her son with interviews and articles on both the local paper as well as TV stations!

Its a shame we are losing the only voice representing us among the Republicans in Congress.

Emily

Quote from: SadieBlake on May 06, 2017, 05:25:29 PM
I guess I think the good news here is that the opposition party, while out of power is sponsoring meaningful legislation, not simply obstructing.

In 8 years of Obama the Republicans became known for dozens of ACA repeal bills, all stillborn failure to even consider a scotus nominee etc etc. Nearly 4 months in power and they still haven't fulfilled any promises except confirming a scotus pick who met their every litmus test and they had to make a rules change to do that.

God help them in the mid terms, (they're gonna need her because nobody else is gonna be lifting a finger).

I wouldnt be too excited about the mditerms there Sadie. The opposiiton party will most likley, if things keep going this way take back the House and have a Democratic Speaker. Which, beings the 3rd most powerful American would being wind to the Democratic Party's sail boat... But the Senate? I have serious doubt about that. The Democrats need to pick up 2 seats... and they could, they could take 2 seats and ONLY 2 realisitc seats. Those being Nevada's and Arizona's. The rest is deep red country that will indeed stay red. Heck, Texas is treding blue latley maybe we can give the Democrats a possible 3rd seat, though that is a very long shot. On the other hand, the Democrats have over 20 seats to defend, some of them in states were the Republicans are very popular as is President Trump. So even if the Dems win Arizona, Nevada and Texas they are just as likely to lose Indiana, Missouri and of course Donald Trumps best performing state, West Virginia. I have a hard time seeing the Dems win the Senate.


I will give many in the Democratic party this, they are still , as you said, proposing their own ideas and are being a proper oppisition party