The House-passed health care bill included one decent provision that would have extended the payroll tax exclusion on employer-provided health benefits that spouses receive to domestic partners. The New York Times described it here. But despite the Senate bill running to an amazing 2,074 pages in which all sorts of social engineering are hidden, with a less-strict abortion-funding ban than in the House bill, there is apparently no provision for remedying the tax inequality faced by gay spouses and partners.
So despite raising taxpayer costs by at least $1 trillion and imposing costs on businesses and individuals of another $1.5 trillion, in its 400,000 words Harry Reid couldn't find a sentence or two for equality under the law.
One Comment for “Not a Priority”
posted by Another Steve on
with a less-strict abortion-funding ban than in the House bill
The abortion rights groups played hardball and as a result the Senate bill is more favorable to their interests. As for the LGBT groups that function primarily as Democratic party fundraisers, not so much.