Posted on 01/29/2013 11:42:36 AM PST by drewh
— Same-sex couples will be a part of the proposal for addressing immigration reform that President Obama is scheduled to unveil Tuesday in Las Vegas, BuzzFeed has confirmed with multiple sources familiar with the White House plan.
A Democratic source said: "Same-sex couples will be part of his proposal." A second source confirmed that, unlike the Senate framework released Monday, same-sex bi-national couples — those with one American and one foreign partner — will be included in the White House principles.
The decision by Obama seeks to remedy what advocates for same-sex couples view as one of the most searing inequalities under the existing federal limit on marriage to one man and one woman: LGBT American citizens simply have no way to confer citizenship on their romantic partners, something that is automatic — if not always simple — for straight couples.
Under current law, such same-sex couples, even when married under state law, are not eligible for the green cards that opposite-sex couples can receive. Foreign partners of same-sex couples have in the past found their green card applications denied — often forcing couples to separate or move abroad.
Although Attorney General Eric Holder and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano have taken steps to examine the issue and, in some cases, prevent deportation of the foreign same-sex partners of Americans, the Defense of Marriage Act continues to prevent the granting of green cards for such individuals.
White House officials did not respond to requests for comment about the issue Monday night.
When the Senate framework was unveiled Monday, same-sex couples were not included. BuzzFeed has learned that three of the Democratic senators involved in the bipartisan framework reached out to LGBT advocates on Sunday to let them know in advance that same-sex couples' immigration issues would not be addressed in the Senate framework.
An LGBT advocate on the call said that the call, which was led by Sen. Chuck Schumer and included Sens. Richard Durbin and Bob Menendez, included the news from Schumer that same-sex couples would not be addressed in the Senate framework to be unveiled Monday in order to maintain its bipartisan support.
The advocate also said that Schumer told the advocates that although there would be attempts to include same-sex couples at a later point in the process — up to and including during committee amendments — there were no guarantees that same-sex couples would be included the legislation.
An email seeking comment from Schumer's office was not immediately returned on Monday night.
Alex Conant, press secretary for Sen. Marco Rubio, one of the Republicans who announced the Senate framework Monday, told BuzzFeed shortly after publication of this story Monday night, "White House officials have talked to BuzzFeed more than they've talked to Marco Rubio about what they plan to say tomorrow."
"The issue of same-sex couples and immigration are details that still need to be worked out in Senate," Rubio press secretary Alex Conant added.
Earlier Monday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney refused to say whether Obama would sign the Senate proposal if it passed as is, nor would he comment on a key Democratic concession to Republicans to make granting a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants dependent on first securing the border.
The Democratic source said the White House is displeased by the proposal and his plan would not link the two
The administration and government are so wrong about this. The really sad thing is that they are trying the patience of God. It is becoming obvious that they do not believe that God exists and have no fear of Him.
They sure as hell have no fear of God’s people.
Why is it Chucky Schumer’s first order of business is always the plight of homosexuals. Does he have something he wants to tell us?
They wo0n’t exactly have a flood of same sex couples to consider-homosexuality in either gender is not widely approved of in hispanic culture.
Now is the time.
Now is the time.
Now is the time.
Now is the time.
Now is the time.
I thought they wanted to get the government out of our bedrooms...
That is to be expected.
Obama can’t have one bill go through without adding in his homo peeps. LOL
This us the same person who said he wasn’t for gay marriage in 2008. LOL The guy is a serial liar.
Ignoring the morality of homosexuality, what about the morality of bankrupting our children? The average annual per patient cost of HIV treatment and care in the US is
$19,912. Other than to destroy a country that Obama seems to hate, why would he want more people who are at extreme risk for HIV?
The Won is a fan-boi of Muslims, Communists, and Gays, in approximately that order.
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.