Congressional hearing on immigration included same-sex couple

Steve Orner testified before congressional staffs in a closed door hearing on immigration reform, the Advocate reports.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has this perspective from Senator Bob Casey.

Another cosponsor of immigration equality for gay couples, Sen. Bob Casey, said he'd prefer to see a bill passed separately -- to give it a better chance of passage, given that wholesale immigration reform proved a tough sell last session and may do so again. Mr. Casey, who supports gay civil unions, believes that it "makes no sense" to deport people who meet the requirements of this bill.

"We're saying to tens of thousands of Americans, in effect, 'Sorry, we understand you're in this relationship and are committed to each other and to this country, but you have to leave.' "

And when the deportee's education was paid for with U.S. tax dollars, "that's particularly disturbing," he said.

Senator Casey is one of the so-called "Blue Dogs" in the Senate. His center-right social leanings are noted by his opposition to abortion and gay marriage. Most recently he had expressed reluctance to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

Even with Sen. Casey's support, UAFA is still far away from the 51 votes required in the Senate for passage. You can keep track of the Public Whip Count of UAFA via ActOnPrincipals. Click here for the House Whip Count, and here for the Senate Whip Count.

It remains to be seen whether UAFA would be included in the upcoming Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Sen. Patrick Leahy and Rep. Jerry Nadler have penned an op-ed calling for UAFA's inclusion in the CIR. But even with Healthcare Reform edging closer to the finish line, there are still other priorities ahead of CIR: climate change ("Cap and Trade), financial reform, etc.