Posted on 02/20/2009 8:04:30 AM PST by AuntB
Saying that now there's a president in the White House who is not a “guaranteed veto” for the legislation, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler reintroduced a bill Feb. 12 that seeks to enable gay Americans to sponsor their foreign same-sex partners for legal residency in the United States.
U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy reintroduced the companion bill in the Senate.
Speaking to reporters on a telephone conference call, Nadler said it would be hard to say what the “odds” are for the bill—the Uniting American Families Act”—to pass.
Nadler's remarks to reporters were interrupted by a phone call from the White House but, when he came back on the phone, the Congressman said the call was about the stimulus package.
An Obama administration aide indicated the White House has not yet weighted in on the legislation.
But, as a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination last year, then-Sen. Obama told the Human Rights Campaign that he supported the bill. And Nadler indicated that the change in the White House—and “positive signals” from Democratic committee leaders—has prompted him to make a “serious attempt” at passing the legislation.
Under the current Immigration and Naturalization Act, an American citizen can sponsor his or her opposite-sex “spouse” for a green card, representing legal residency.
The Leahy-Nadler bills seek to amend that law to add the words “permanent partner” to those qualified to seek such residency.
“Permanent partner” is defined as an adult who is in a committed, intimate, financially interdependent relationship with another adult in “which both parties intend a lifelong commitment.”
“The promotion of family unity has long been part of federal immigration policy,” said Leahy, in a statement released Thursday, “and we should honor that principle by providing all Americans the opportunity to be with their loved ones.”
Leahy estimated that about 35,000 binational same-sex couples live in the United States.
“It is all but certain that many of these couples will eventually be forced to make a choice with which no American should be faced,” said Leahy, “to choose between the country they love and the person they love.”
During the telephone conference call, one couple who lives in Vermont told how the foreign partner cannot get a green card even though the couple obtained a civil-union license in that state. The foreign partner, identified as Janet from the United Kingdom, noted the irony that the cat she brought with her to the United States has legal permission to be here permanently through a “pet visa,” but that she, herself, cannot obtain such status.
A woman, identified as Lee from South Africa, said she lives in New York City with her partner and their two sons. She said she lives in constant fear of being deported and separated from her family.
Rachel Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality, a national organization working to improve immigration law to help LGBT people with foreign partners, wrote president-elect Obama in December. In the letter, Tiven urged Obama to both support the bill and take other actions to help LGBT people in immigration matters.
On introduction, the House bill had 74 sponsors and the Senate bill had 12.
Well, Mr. Leahy, many AMERICANS are having to leave their homes to migrate elsewhere because they've lost their jobs to ALIENS!
Oh brother!
So the only ‘Cabana Boy’ that will be available to tend to me in my old age will be a foreign, illegal, gay one?
Life sucks. *SIGH* ;)
This is shear lunacy! What is WRONG with our Elected Officials that they have TIME for this stuff? If they have time to tend to these things that aren’t ‘the peoples’ business’ they have too much time on their hands and too much of our money!
Vote them ALL out come 2010. Every last insane one of them.
Will they be AIDS tested?
What if I have four wives, can I sponsor them all to come?
“Will they be AIDS tested?”
That would be ‘racist’ or some such excuse, I’m sure.
I’m suprised the sick SOB’s didn’t reference NAMBLA in that part of the bill.
“What if I have four wives, can I sponsor them all to come?”
I am sure you can...if your name is Mohammed.
Fatso needs to be removed from politics. This is not only illegal, it’s immoral.
If they test negative they should all be injected with the live virus. In no time our problem would be cured.
Get used to it folks. This is what happens when the Democrats take over all 3 branches of government
They’ve got the bit in their teeth, there is no stopping them now.
So, if a homosexual from the USA takes a sex tour to Thailand and takes a fancy to a certain 12 year-old boy, the homosexual can get the boy to America by saying he will sponsor his new sex toy? Where will this partner immigration take us?
So...., if a gay man has 10 sex partners, can he sponsor them all?
This is really amazing. I am not nostalgic for the days when there was only one outrage per week. Now, every day I get up, I am confronted my multiple outrages. What the devil has gotten into people? Maybe the problem is that we all lie back and take it. I luv the FR, but sometimes I think its a poor substitute for physical action.
So...., if a gay man has 10 sex partners, can he sponsor them all?
This is really amazing. I am NOW nostalgic for the days when there was only one outrage per week. Now, every day I get up, I am confronted my multiple outrages. What the devil has gotten into people? Maybe the problem is that we all lie back and take it. I luv the FR, but sometimes I think its a poor substitute for physical action.
bttt
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