DOMA Repeal Bill to be introduced next week

From Politico's Ben Smith:

At a busy legislative moment, foes of the Defense of Marriage Act are re-starting the campaign against it. Rep. Jerry Nadler is, I'm told, expected to introduce a bill that would repeal the legislation next week, and today Human Rights Campaign is delivering a survey of 50,000 gay and lesbian members and supporters to Congress, intended to convey the concrete harm the bill does them.

The survey results stress the mundane benefits of marriage -- first among them, Social Security survivor benefits.

HRC also officially launched their DOMA Repeal push by delivering the surveys results of 50,000 LGBT people on DOMA to Congress. In their announcement, they also confirmed timing of the DOMA Repeal bill, to be introduced by Nadler.

As part of the campaign, HRC launched a national action alert, an interactive website, RepealDOMAnow.org, and delivered to Congress nearly 50,000 survey responses showing the concrete harms DOMA brings to the lives of LGBT Americans and their families. A bill is expected to be introduced in the U.S. House as early as next week.

The fact that 50,000 people completed the survey is an encouraging sign in and of itself, showing how much people care about the issue. And with HRC trying to win back support they will no doubt work to push it to front and center of the LGBT legislative agenda. Only a fool would believe that the community would be happy with bread crumbs like EDNA and the Hate Crime Bill.

Of course, multiple challenges remain:

• The health care reform stalemate. Congress is unlikely to take on any other issue until a health care reform bill is passed.


• The lack of a senate sponsor. A while ago it was reported that HRC is lobbying Senator Russ Feingold to be the senate sponsor of the DOMA Repeal bill. Sen. Feingold is pro gay marriage and serves as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Constitution under Committee on the Judiciary. There has been no word on whether or not he's willing to push for the DOMA Repeal bill.


• President Obama's avoidance of the LGBT issues. While he has repeated stated his objection to DOMA, President Obama has yet to take any substantial action against it.


• Expected outcries from social conservatives. Looking at how the republicans created outright lies such as "death panels" to derail the health care reform, I would be surprised if they don't do the same to DOMA Repeal should it appear on the congressional agenda.

The road ahead would be treacherous. It won't be accomplished in a day. But until we start on this journey, we'd never get there.