The U.S. Senate will allow Washington, D.C., to implement its domestic-partners law, ending a nine-year congressional blockade by social conservatives. It follows similar inaction by the House and neutrality by the administration. The Senate vote took place Nov. 7.
The Senate also tabled a motion to block local funding of needle-exchange programs to help reduce the spread of HIV, and took no action with regard to a ruling by the D.C. Human Rights Commission that the Boy Scouts discriminate against gays. The House imposed restrictions in both areas, so those issues will have to be worked out in conference.
Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., had led the fight against the domestic-partner bill in the past. But the whispers on Capitol Hill were that he was unable to find a sponsor for such an amendment this time around.
Carl Schmid, a local lobbyist who works with openly gay D.C. City Councilman David Catania, R-At Large, and the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) , attributed that reluctance to inaction in the House where conservative Republicans control the legislative process, and "a sea change in attitude" toward gays on the Hill.
Sen. George Allen, R-Va., proposed a motion to ban spending local money on needle-exchange programs. A similar motion had been attached to the D.C. appropriations bill since 1998. But this time it was tabled on a 53-47 vote largely along party lines.
"The Senate upheld the value of family by removing unnecessary barriers and making it easier for families to acquire health coverage," said Winnie Stachelberg, political director of HRC. She welcomed White House neutrality on the issue and praised newly installed subcommittee chair Mary Landrieu, D-La., for her management of the bill.
Councilmember Catania was "pleased" with the "truly significant victory." He said that reducing congressional riders and "allowing the District to implement its own budget without congressional prohibitions have been two of my principle priorities since my election to the Council."
Cornelius Baker, executive director of the Whitman-Walker Clinic, called recognition of gay relationships and needle exchange "tremendous steps for gay and lesbian people and all those committed in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C." Estimates are that half of all new infections are directly or indirectly tied to injection drug use.
"The idea that the federal government can ban citizens from using their private funds to run a program that is meeting a demonstrable public health benefit is unconscionable," said Jeff Bloom in referring to the needle-exchange vote. He has lobbied on a number of local and national AIDS issues. But he advised vigilance so that the measure does not slip back induring the House-Senate conference.
The history of these social issues amendments or riders to D.C. appropriations as proposed by the right is that once they are defeated, they are not raised again in subsequent sessions of Congress. A ban on adoption by gays and lesbians was defeated three years ago.