Conservatives file amendments that would derail DC same-sex relationship recognition laws

05_phixr It has been a busy week for the homophobes in Congress as several conservative lawmakers seem to think it is far more important to put the District’s relationship recognition laws out of business then to fund a DC Metro that runs all night or does not derail and crash into itself.

Monday several amendments were submitted to the House Rules Committee for the fiscal year 2010 concerning a D.C. appropriations bill that would mess about with D.C.’s recognition of same-sex marriages performed elsewhere and overturn the district’s current domestic partnership law.

Rep. Jason Chaffertz (R-Utah) submitted an amendment that would nullify D.C.’s out of state marriage law recognition unless D.C. voters approve it in the next general election.
“Notwithstanding any provision of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, any law enacted by the Council of the District of Columbia that recognizes any definition of marriage other than a union between one man and one woman shall be invalid unless approved by the electors of the District of Columbia in the first general election that follows the enactment of that law,” says the proposed amendment.

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) filed an Amendment to prohibit the use of funds for D.C.’s domestic partnership law, which stems from the Health Care Benefits Expansion Act of 1992.

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“None of the funds made available in this act may be used to implement or enforce the Health Care Benefits Expansion Act of 1992,” says the proposed amendment.
Finally, Rep. Dan Burton (D-Ind.) filed an amendment that would block the use of funds for any court that would hear the question of the constitutional validity of the amendments made by the Defense of Marriage Act.

“None of the funds made available in this act may be used for any court created by act of Congress or the Supreme Court, to hear or decide a question of the constitutional validity of the amendments made by the Defense of Marriage Act providing that no state shall be required to give effect to any marriage between persons of the same sex under the laws of any state,” says the proposed amendment.

An unnamed staffer with Representative Jared Polis office (D-Co) told the LGR this morning that there is very little chance that any of the proposed amendments would it make through the Democratic-controlled Rules Committee to reach the House floor, but hoped their efforts continue… as “stuff like this seems to occupy these clowns and it keeps them out of the our hair while we work on important things…. like the health care reform bill.”

http://www.rules.house.gov/amendment_details.aspx?NewsID=4381