House passes DADT Repeal 250-175

Well, the repeal for DADT pass in the House, next step, Senate.

That vote could happen next week... Fingers Crossed

The House Passes Tax Cuts for Middle Class 234-188

Well, here we go as 'The Mess in Congress' series continues. Today the House passed the Democratic bill to extend middle-class tax cut.
Here's more:

The House has passed a bill to extend middle-class tax cuts while letting those for the wealthy expire, even as talks continue on extending the cuts for everyone.

The bill is a political maneuver to satisfy Democratic supporters who oppose extending tax cuts for the wealthy. Even if the bill passes the House, it has no chance in the Senate, where Democrats need Republican support to pass a tax bill.

Sweeping tax cuts enacted under former President George W. Bush expire at the end of the year. A small bipartisan group of lawmakers and Obama administration officials continued negotiating Thursday on a deal that could extend all the tax cuts, at least temporarily.
The House passed the Democratic bill by a vote of 234 to 188.

The Senate is next, let's see what happens.

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Highlights from the House vote on DADT

A Twofer! House votes to Repeal DADT!

Hot like Mexico rejoice!

House voted 234-193 in favor of repeal!!!

Hawaii State House approves the Civil Unions Bill

Hawaii makes it happen for the gay community. The House has passed the Civil Unions bill.

A bill approving same-sex civil unions is headed to Hawaii's governor after the state House of Representatives gave it final legislative approval Thursday.

The House voted 31-20 in favor of the measure, which passed the Senate in January.

Republican Gov. Linda Lingle has not said whether she will make civil unions law or veto the bill.

The measure grants gay and lesbian couples the same rights and benefits that the state provides to married couples.

If it becomes law, Hawaii will join California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington in granting essentially all the rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself. Five other states permit same-sex marriage: Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The issue was revived on the last day of this year's legislative session when House Majority Leader Blake Oshiro made a motion to reconsider it.

Good luck, Hawaii!!!

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Moose Mess uses Gun Sights to target House Dems

This is low and quite desperate.

Sarah Palin's PAC is using gun sights to attack House Dems who supported the Health Care bill.

"We'll aim for these races and many others," she wrote on her Facebook page. "This is just the first salvo in a fight to elect people across the nation who will bring common sense to Washington. Please go to sarahpac.com and join me in the fight."

Mess!

Joseph Cao, the Lone Ranger

Joseph Cao was the only Repub to vote for Health Care. He said he was thinking of the needs of his people.

Good job, Joseph

Health Care Passes in House and "We" are included!

Greatness! Also the HRC lobbied for this provisions:

* Health Disparities – the bill specifically designates LGBT people as a health disparities population, opening up health data collection and grant programs focused on health disparities related to sexual orientation and gender identity. With collection of data and funding of research, we can better address the specific health issues facing LGBT people.

* Unequal Taxation of Domestic Partner Benefits – the bill ends the unfair taxation of employer-provided domestic partner health benefits, incorporating the language of the Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act. Without this tax penalty, more people will be able to afford employer-provided coverage for their families, and more companies will be able to offer these important benefits.

* Early Treatment for HIV under Medicaid – the bill also incorporates the Early Treatment for HIV Act, which allows states to cover early HIV treatment under their Medicaid programs, instead of withholding treatment for Medicaid recipients until they develop full-blown AIDS, This will dramatically improve the quality of life for low-income people with HIV, as well as saving taxpayers money and reducing the transmission of the virus.

* Comprehensive Sex Education – the bill provides funding for comprehensive sex education programs that focus not only on abstinence, but also reducing teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. After more than $1 billion wasted on failed and discriminatory abstinence-only programs, this funding will provide youth, including LGBT students, with the tools they need to live healthy lives.

* Non-discrimination – the bill prohibits consideration of personal characteristics unrelated to the provision of health care. HRC worked with a coalition of civil rights groups to develop and lobby for this language and we believe it will help protect LGBT people from discrimination in the health care system, where there are currently no federal protections for our community.

They do work for our best interests, sometimes.

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F**K you, John Boehner!

House Passes the Big Hate Crimes Bill!

Great news, great news!

The House voted Thursday to expand the definition of violent federal hate crimes to cover those committed because of a victim’s gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Democrats and advocates hailed the vote of 281 to 146, which put the measure on the brink of becoming law, as the culmination of a long push to curb violent expressions of bias such as the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming college student murdered in 1998.

“Left unchecked crimes of this kind threaten to ruin the very fabric of America,” said Representative Susan Davis, Democrat of California.

The hate-crimes measure was approved as part of a broad $681 billion Pentagon policy measure, a strategy that infuriated House Republicans who accused Democrats of employing a form of legislative blackmail.

This will given to Obama immediately. Hopefully, he sign it by this weekend.

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Good News, Bad News: The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act

Good News: The Matthew Shepard Act passed yesterday

Bad News: The Act is linked to a $1.75 billion in funding for F-22 fighter jets which Obama and SoD, Robert oppose of. This could also lead to a veto, which will possibly lead into more foolish "Hate on Obama" attacks.

He just can't catch a break.

Source

Vermont has voted for Gay Marriage

Big news! After talking and talking for 4 hours, the Vermont House of Representatives made gay marriage legal however, the bill faces a veto from the governor (Hater).

The house voted 95-52 in favor of the bill, which had already cleared the state Senate in a 26-4 vote.

Still, the governor wants veto it.

But his stank ass veto would not kill the bill. The members of the House and Senate can override the veto by securing a two-thirds majority of support in each chamber. The Senate would need 20 votes; the House would need 100 votes.

The governor is a fool to veto this bill. He should see how this can change everything. He can be the a part of movement or a foolish man using ignorance as an excuse to halt gay marriage.

Gov. James Douglas, don't f**k it up!