The original House-passed health care bill contained a provision extending to domestic partners the same tax exclusion on the value of employer-provided health benefits that spouses of employees receive. That was a major step forward-the taxes paid by domestic partners but not spouses for "family coverage" are huge.
The Senate dropped the tax-equalizing provision entirely in its version of the health care bill, although at the same time it loosened the language restricting government funding of abortion. Score: One for the pro-choice/abortion lobby, zero for gays.
The new reconciliation bill negotiated by Obama with House and Senate Democratic leaders (intended to be passed after the House's passage of the Senate bill) keeps the Senate's less-restrictive abortion-funding language but doesn't put back in the House's provision equalizing the tax treatment of health benefits for domestic partners. Score: Two for the pro-choice/abortion lobby, zero for gays.
The choice/abortion lobby knows how to play hardball. The LGBT Democratic party fundraisers know how to applaud and swoon.
More. The health care bill says that employers must allow adult children of workers to stay on their parent's plan up to age 26. The reconciliation measure clarifies that this is on a tax-free basis, so employer's don't have to input the value of the benefit as income to be taxed- as they will still have to do for domestic partners. So the Democrats expanded the universe of untaxed benefits for some family members and left us out, again.
If the Human Rights Campaign's claim that it pushed for untaxed DP benefits is true, I can only say that doing so while cheering the president and providing unconditional support to the party is a deeply flawed strategy.
Furthermore. I'm reminded that it's not just same-sex domestic partners that remain excluded; it's same-sex spouses as well! LCR has more, here.
25 Comments for “Less Than Equal, Again”
posted by Clay on
Agreed about the LGBT Democratic party fundraisers. But how many Republican votes have the GOP gay organizations secured for health care reform? How is your Congressman voting?
posted by another Steve on
Clay, the issue here is not GOP opposition to health care reform; the issue is Democrats taking gay votes/dollars for granted. The fact that the Republicans will all vote no regardless means that what’s in the bill is entirely up to Democratic party leaders.
posted by Lori Heine on
We’re getting this lame-ass excuse again: but-but-but-but the Republicans didn’t vote for it?!
Come on, that’s an awfully childish excuse for reasoning. It’s like listening to a teenager plead for a later curfew: “But Amber’s mom let’s HER stay out ’til midnight!”
Is this a nation or a nursery school?
Because the Tweedledee Party doesn’t have the guts to exhibit leadership, it’s okay that the Tweedledum Party doesn’t?
We must truly be in the final, crack-up stage of this country. No longer is there even a pretense that our elected officials look for inspiration or leadership from each other. Now it’s a race to the bottom.
This is why I left the Democratic Party. It’s also why I didn’t join the Republican Party. Neither party understands that we, the people sends representatives to Washington to serve us. They think we sent them there to rule us.
All Hail, King Tweedledee and lord god Tweedledum!
posted by Lori Heine on
That stupid little comments box again. I didn’t see I had “let’s” instead of “lets” until it was too late…
posted by Lori Heine on
Then again, even if the overall nightmare that is this healthcare bill passes even with votes solely from Tweedledum, it doesn’t matter what bone they toss us because the damage to healthcare will still be done.
They didn’t even read the bill, and they’ve got to pass it to find out what’s in it…duh!
The “community’s” wonderful Tweedledum Party at work for us all again.
posted by Debrah on
Hidden Deep Within ObamaCare……. from Pajamas Media
“So whatâs the rationale behind this nonsense? Well, due to the disproportionately poorer health thatâs found among poor blacks and Latinos, the assumption is that this is caused by racism and health care discrimination. This is always the fall-back position of leftists and liberals, since sloppy thinking wonât allow examining other contributing factors: bad eating habits, heredity, and levels of fitness may not always be as good among all groups.”
Bingo!
posted by Michael on
Organizations like Human Rights Campaign worked tirelessly to to retain the Tax Equity for Domestic Partners in the final reform package. But at the end, like you mention Obama and House and Senate Democratic leaders left out this crucial piece out. This was probably done out of political expediency. They let us down once again and threw the LGBT commmunity under the bus. I guess it is NEVER the right time for the politicians to help the LGBT community and our votes are taken for granted. Mr Obama did not even meet the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, a group of legislators in the House who are strong supporters of equal rights for LGBT people. So LGBT people will continue to pay taxes for their domestic partner health benefits, and have less rights than their straight married counterparts.
posted by Craig2 on
I fail to see the reason to excoriate the pro-choice side of the abortion debate merely because it is better organised, pragmatic and focused on securing its interests.
So are organised and unified LGBT lobby groups in most other western societies, where abortion has long since ceased to be an issue of significant public debate.
Craig2
Wellington, NZ
posted by North Dallas Thirty on
But how many Republican votes have the GOP gay organizations secured for health care reform?
Why on earth would they do that?
Unless, of course, you think all gays and lesbians support a socialist takeover and nationalization of the US health care system just because YOU think that’s dandy.
Had this been raised as a totally separate issue — change the tax code to allow a person to have one non-related individual on their health plan without paying imputed income — this would have passed overwhelmingly with Republican support. It expands access, provides favorable tax treatment for making the choice to purchase coverage, and can be used not only for same-sex partners, but also for those with dependent parents or other relatives who someone would like to add on their health plan.
The reason the Obama Party doesn’t want this is because of their desperate need to make their bill “deficit-neutral”. Removing imputed income tax removes a source of revenue, and thus costs money. They can’t and won’t do it. Abortion funding, though, puts money into the pockets of reliable leftist groups who will then kick it back to Obama Party politicians.
But again, the gay left has to use sexual orientation as an excuse for pushing socialism. Wrong!
posted by Jorge on
Normally I’d openly question why we’re even talking about a non-gay issue.
But then again I did hear something somewhere about one of the amendments being floated having something to do with immigration reform. Talk about irrelevant. So he says the abortion lobbyists can play with the big leaguers and the gay lobbyists can’t.
Also, it occurs to me that, since health care reform is going to be the only major social accomplishment or reform that’s gonna come about from the Obama administration, it begs the question, why health care? We are a country that would sooner pass comprehensive health care reform than comprehensive or even incremental marriage reform.
Since you’re going to tell me that health care reform will save and restore dignity to more lives than any package of gay rights measures, I think I’ll quit now before I have to hear it.
posted by Bobby on
At advocate.com the debate has gotten ugly, Tea Partiers have been compared to neo-nazis, sometimes I wish neo-nazis would have parades more often to help progressives tell the difference between dissent and actual hatred.
The passage of this bill means two things. 1. You can’t trust the government when it comes to protecting your rights. 2. Get ready for a republican takeover. History is repeating itself, Bill Clinton had to move to the center after losing midterm elections.
I’m very saddened by what’s happening to this country. If I wanted to live in Canada, Europe or New Zealand I would gladly move to those countries. Obama has turned the land of the free into the land of the freeloader.
posted by Jimmy on
“Obama has turned the land of the free into the land of the freeloader.”
And in just 13 months. There’s a man who can get things done!
LOL!
posted by BobN on
At advocate.com the debate has gotten ugly, Tea Partiers have been compared to neo-nazis, sometimes I wish neo-nazis would have parades more often to help progressives tell the difference between dissent and actual hatred.
Question: What’s the difference between a neo-Nazi standing on a street corner calling you a “faggot” and a Tea Partier standing on a corner calling you a “faggot”?
Answer: the neo-Nazi, with his shaved head and tattoos is a lot hotter.
posted by Jimmy on
“Answer: the neo-Nazi, with his shaved head and tattoos is a lot hotter.”
For sure! At least there’s the possibility that the neo-Nazi’s taunts are a prelude to hate-sex.
posted by Bobby on
“Question: What’s the difference between a neo-Nazi standing on a street corner calling you a “faggot” and a Tea Partier standing on a corner calling you a “faggot”?
Answer: the neo-Nazi, with his shaved head and tattoos is a lot hotter.”
—The difference is that the neo-nazi will beat the crap out of you WHILE calling you those names. And by the way, there is no video of tea partiers using those slurs, the story has been made up by progressives to defame an entire group of people.
“And in just 13 months. There’s a man who can get things done! ”
—Well, it’s always easier to destroy a country than to improve it.
posted by jared on
The Democrats can’t produce any video of the alleged slurs, or any pictures of racist signs, although they were there filming. It truly is a big lie, repeatedly endless by the left-liberal media. It’s the left’s lie that is so frightening and indeed totalitarian.
posted by Craig2 on
Unfortunately, the Tea Partiers do tend to attract individuals who are not primarily antitax libertarians and does not seem to be a homogenous movement. Racist and homophobic temper tantrums and histrionics directed at Democrat congresspeople don’t exactly help their cause.
Craig2
Wellington, NZ
posted by jared on
Craig2, you don’t know what you talking about. I was at the rally at the Capital on Sunday – no racist or anti-gay signs, not racist or anti-gay chanting, many, many, libertarian signs about big government. Sell your socialist pap somewhere else!
posted by Debrah on
There is no doubt that the Democrat leftists—none more than the Democratic members of Congress, themselves—are whipping up a scenario so they’ll have a fundraising tool with which to scare their base.
It’s already happening at this moment.
From checking MSNBC’s afternoon coverage today, Andrea Mitchell—(fresh from another appointment, no doubt, to have her plastic surgeon sand a few more acne scars off her smarmy cheeks)—was actually trying to rev up the discussion to fever pitch level.
The few rabble rousers who were reportedly out of line—(and why can’t the “victims” produce more evidence other than word-of-mouth?)—in protesting the health-care bill have been turned into a comical mountain of exaggeration by old men from the civil rights era as well as Barney Frank—(who seems to have finally been successful in keeping his “boyfriend” out of the prostitution business)—to garner a bit of attention and stoke the culture war.
The opposition to this health-care bill would be wise to eliminate any group of fringe in their midst so the ultra-left will have to deal with the issues and not be allowed to concoct “boogy men” and establish “victimhood” for themselves as a diversion from honest discussion.
This bill was “passed” using the sleaziest tactics available. Is this what the voters asked for?
I personally think that Barney Frank is the scum of the earth and should never have been allowed to remain in his seat after it was discovered what was taking place in his own home all those years ago.
What a mutt the creepy Barney must be. He can take his place beside Larry Craig.
As we all know, the loud, lispy Barney has easily prevailed in Massachusetts and among his anything-goes-but-we-want-someone-else-to-pay-for-it Lib-Dems.
Hilarious, that.
posted by Craig2 on
I think you need to wake up and smell the coffee (so to speak…). The Tea Party brigade is a populist movement, although I concede some have argued it is an ‘astroturf’ PR monstrosity rather than a bona fide movement.
Therefore, it is quite possible that it does incorporate disparate threads and fellow traveller elements like white supremacists and militia extremists.
Populist fringe elements tend to do damage to the electoral prospects of centre-right and fiscal conservative political parties. Which is why the British Conservative and New Zealand National Parties have embraced social pluralism and sought to entice lesbian and gay advocates of fiscal responsibility and limited government to their corner.
This isn’t unknown in the United States. Remember Pat Buchanan? Is Sarah Palin Pat Buchanan in drag, one wonders…?
Craig2
Wellington, NZ
posted by Debrah on
TO Craig–
I have no idea why you’re so mesmerized by the dynamics of what you think you know about the U. S. political arena.
Perhaps because New Zealand is so sparsely populated, albeit a very beautiful part of the world, you’re compelled to project a dramatic thread into this American landscape that simply does not exist.
Or could it be that you have a very short memory……conveniently?
Many of us who actually live here and have a crystal-clear recollection of what transpired ad nauseum just a few years ago realize that most of what is taking place at the moment is theatre of the absurd.
Let me urge you to read this post very carefully.
If you’re not embarrassed for some of these politicians as they stage emotional monologues…….feebly attempting to draw analogies to “struggles” of the past, then you’re obviously a victim of this political charade.
Yes, there are fringe members in any group. I would venture to say that there are a few strange people somewhere in your own family.
However, to suggest that the opposition to this health-care bill is comprised of a peculiarly strident and threatening group of people is insane.
You have no idea what was done and said about George Bush by these so-called “progressives” every day of his presidency……(and I am a registered Democrat, by the way).
If you spend some time actually reading, you’ll find that most everything that the Far Left spent pushing for eight long years are total falsehoods.
This country, and by extension, YOUR country…….are safer today because of the steps that George Bush took as president, and he did so without waking up each morning looking in the Oval mirror and planning his strategies by what the polls revealed.
I’ve simply had it with all the lies.
posted by Bobby on
“Therefore, it is quite possible that it does incorporate disparate threads and fellow traveller elements like white supremacists and militia extremists. ”
—White-supremacists would never compare Obama to Hitler. As racism and homophobia, yesterday I heard a lesbian mom call Rush Limbaugh and told him she went to the protest with her partner, they held hands at some points, and NOBODY attacked them.
There isn’t any video evidence of anyone shouting the n or f word, which is ironic since cameras were all over the place at that event, including cellphone cameras.
Besides, when was the last time you heard of republicans rioting, vandalizing stores, and beating people up? Youtube has a link of SEIU thugs beating a black conservative, everytime the G8 meets or there’s some global trade conference, it’s leftists radicals that riot and vandalize. Have you read the manifesto of the guy who crashed his plane into a building? He’s a marxist. Did you heard about the teacher who shot people? When the media found out she was a marxist and Obama supporter, they stoped covering the story. You need to watch Glenn Beck, he has DOZENS of examples of liberals engaging in violence. In fact, sometimes they create their own hate crimes:
“.Last year, for example, Trinity International University near Deerfield, Ill., evacuated some classes after anonymous letters threatened minority students with gunfire. A black female 20-year-old student was eventually convicted of felony disorderly conduct and ordered into counseling for creating the letters. Police told the Chicago Tribune that she had been unhappy at the school and hoped the threats would persuade her parents to let her leave.
Three years earlier at Northwestern University, a student who described himself as biracial admitted to putting anti-Hispanic graffiti on a wall near his dorm room and filing a false report of racial harassment and a knife attack.
In 2003 three black freshmen were accused at the University of Mississippi of writing racial graffiti on the doors of two other black students’ rooms and on walls on three floors of the residence hall. Among their obscenities and racial epithets, their scrawls included a tree with a noose and a hanging stick figure.”
What crimes do conservatives commit?
Here’s one:
Students Throw Cotton Balls, Are Arrested for Felony Hate Crime
http://www.infowars.com/students-throw-cotton-balls-are-arrested-for-felony-hate-crime/
posted by Bobby on
How the Left Fakes the Hate
http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2010/03/26/how_the_left_fakes_the_hate_a_primer
posted by Jimmy on
Yet, should someone decide to stack the corpses produced by home-grown extremism in this country in recent years, whacked out right wingers win hands down. Soon, we get to get witness 2nd Amendment marchers gather together in April 19th in remembrance of their hero, Timothy McVeigh, who was just misguided I guess. Yes, McVeigh was pissed off about the Waco siege, and the diminishing hegemony of white folks. It always struck me as odd how, in the middle of Texas of all places, no gun, God, and freedom loving Texans showed up to help defend the rights of the Branch Dividians at Mount Carmel because they knew damn well what was going on out there, and they were more that happy to see the feds clear them out. The way it all went down rests squarely in the person of cult leader and child molester, David Koresh, and his followers.
But you won’t hear that from marchers April 19th, but you can rest assured the next McVeigh will be in their midst.
posted by Craig2 on
Unfortunately, given our sparse population and negligible mineral resource deposits, we need to rely on international free trade for our livelihoods and therefore do tend to be interested in politics elsewhere.
Sorry, but the facts are these. George W. Bush left the White House as a lame duck, primarily due to cumulative economic mismanagement, and the Republicans lost the House of Representatives for the same reason. For some reason, NZ and no doubt other libertarians have a fantasy view of the United States as a cornucopia.
Is it really so far-fetched to suggest that there might well be some commonalities in social movement philosophies and dynamics between the United States and other western societies? The Tea Party does resemble some Australian, New Zealand, British and Canadian social and political movements,
none of which particularly have clean hands when it comes to carelessness about extremist cobelligerents. If it is indulged, that carelessness destroys the hybrid beasts in question and damages any political parties in the fallout zone.
Craig2
Wellington, NZ