D.C. marriage equality bill to be introduced, has Congressional implications
- Posted by Joe Sudbay (DC) October 6th, 2009 http://gay.americablog.com
This morning, the marriage equality bill will be introduced in the D.C. City Council — and it will pass in the near future. But, Congress has the power to review and reject D.C.’s laws. Yes, we don’t get a vote in Congress, but Congress can overrule what our elected officials do. It’s infuriating. So, the real attention isn’t only on what the City Council and Mayor do (although we can’t take anything for granted), it’s on what Congress does:
Given the stakes for the gay community locally and nationally, many city leaders and activists have begun calculating how Congress might react to the sight of same-sex couples getting married in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol.
In an interview, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said she had received assurances from House Democratic leaders that she doesn’t need to worry about congressional intervention.
“The House and Senate have their plates really full,” Norton said. “I don’t think this is anything that is going to somehow scramble over into that.”
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who tried to derail a bill passed by the council this year recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere, also expressed doubts that he or other Republicans could be major obstacles.
“Given the gravity of health care and other tumultuous debate, it hasn’t got much attention,” said Chaffetz, the ranking member of the House subcommittee that oversees the District. “You couple that with the Democrats’ stranglehold on the rules, and the minority is left somewhat impotent.”
Chaffetz said he plans to fight the council’s bill, but he also said the issue could become entangled in a debate among Republicans on Capitol Hill over how far the party should go in speaking out against same-sex marriage.
Chaffetz is a hard-core, anti-gay zealot from Utah. It’s interesting that he realizes the House GOPers are “impotent.” It’s also fascinating that Republicans are arguing about “how far” they should on the issue of same-sex marriage. Gay-bashing has become a tenet of the GOP, spurred on by its theocratic base. They’re debating it now? We need to know more about that.
