Posted on 06/16/2009 8:49:26 PM PDT by freespirited
President Obama will sign a presidential memorandum on Wednesday to extend benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, administration officials said Tuesday evening, but he will stop short of pledging full health insurance coverage.
Mr. Obama, in an Oval Office announcement, is expected to offer details about which benefits will be provided. It is the most significant statement he has made on gay issues, and it comes as he faces intense criticism from several gay rights leaders over what they suggest has been a failure to live up to campaign promises in the first months of his presidency.
Mr. Obama will be weighing in for the first time on one of the most delicate social and political issues of the day: whether the government must provide benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. While he will announce a list of benefits, officials said, they are not expected to include broad health insurance coverage, which could require legislation to achieve.
The initial reaction from some gay rights advocates was mixed.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Yes, that would be a benefit of working for the socialist monolith for the last 45 years.
5 U.S.C. 6382(a)(1):
Subject to section 6383, an employee shall be entitled to
a total of 12 administrative workweeks of leave during any 12-month period for one or more of the following:
(A) Because of the birth of a son or daughter of the employee and in order to care for such son or daughter.
(B) Because of the placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care.
(C) In order to care for the spouse, or a son, daughter, or parent, of the employee, if such spouse, son, daughter, or parent has a serious health condition.
(D) Because of a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the functions of the employee’s position.
1 U.S.C. 7:
In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word “marriage” means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word “spouse” refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.
So no, FMLA is as undoable as health insurance. The moving provision is hardly a benefit. Any new hire or transferee is advised to do it themselves. The contractor will lowball you royally if you ask for assistance.
Does this mean that we can stop this silly marriage thing then. Gays wanted health care bennies, to be able to visit the hospital of sick partner, and other things. This should show that gays can do these things and don’t need marriage to have them.
Thanks for this.
For some reason, I cant shake the feeling that they will have a long list of obscure benefits tomorrow.
Dont miss this article, author seems well-informed.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2273350/posts
Seems to me that Obama is limited the same way as Clinton. This is largely the purview of Congress as we suspected.
Gay feds are getting the bennies with your tax money tho.
As are straight couple that are living in sin.
So two wrongs make it right? Or just equitable?
No, it is simply a reality of our current society, where most major corporations offer Domestic Partner Benefits and the Feds have to keep up in order to attract and retain non-married employees.
Long-term care insurance for domestic partners
Allow employees to use sick leave for domestic partners
and non-biological, non-adopted children (so I guess that means anybody)
use of medical facilities abroad
medical evacuation from posts abroad
inclusion in family size for housing allocations
5 U.S.C. 9001(5) (pertains to Long-term care insurance):
(5) Qualified relative. - The term “qualified relative” means each of the following:
(A) The spouse of an individual described in paragraph (1),(2), (3), or (4).
(B) A parent, stepparent, or parent-in-law of an individual described in paragraph (1) or (3).
(C) A child (including an adopted child, a stepchild, or, to the extent the Office of Personnel Management by regulation provides, a foster child) of an individual described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4), if such child is at least 18 years of age.
(D) An individual having such other relationship to an individual described in paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) as the Office may by regulation prescribe.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.