So: What’s missing? Plenty. Good thing Obama’s memorandum “will also request the heads of all other executive branch departments and agencies to conduct internal reviews to determine whether other benefits they administer might be similarly extended, and to report the results of those reviews to the Director of OPM [John Berry].” We love meaningful terms like “request,” reviews,” and “might be.”
DEVELOPING …
Full “fact sheet” release, next page.
In an Oval Office event later today, President Barack Obama will sign a Presidential Memorandum on Federal Benefits and Non-Discrimination. The Memorandum follows a review by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management ant the Secretary of State regarding what benefits may be extended to the same-sex partners of federal employees in the civil service and the foreign service within the confines of existing federal laws and statutes.
Over the past several months, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Secretary of State have conducted internal reviews to determine whether the benefits they administer may be extended to the same-sex partners of federal employees within the confines of existing laws and statutes. Both identified a number of such benefits.
For civil service employees, domestic partners of federal employees can be added to the long-term care insurance program; supervisors can also be required to allow employees to use their sick leave to take care of domestic partners and non-biological, non-adopted children. For foreign service employees, a number of benefits were identified, including the use of medical facilities at posts abroad, medical evacuation from posts abroad, and inclusion in family size for housing allocations.
The Presidential Memorandum to be signed today will request that the Director of OPM and the Secretary of State act to extend to same-sex partners of federal employees the benefits they have identified. The Memorandum will also request the heads of all other executive branch departments and agencies to conduct internal reviews to determine whether other benefits they administer might be similarly extended, and to report the results of those reviews to the Director of OPM.
The Memorandum will also direct OPM to issue guidance within 90 days to all executive departments and agencies regarding compliance with, and implementation of, the civil service laws, which make it unlawful to discriminate against federal employees or applicants for federal employment on the basis of factors not related to job performance.
ajax
“Married” is just so much friggin easier.
Mark
NO Health insurance???? These are not “benefits!!” This is just disgusting.
Tony
This is just like getting 2/3 vote for being seen as 2/3 human. Obama is a joke. Douche. Healthcare is the most important benefit. I hate this guy. I hate his man armed wife and spawn. I hate his dog. Ugh. What a douche.
wondermann
@Tony: So you hate him over something that has not been announced yet and with no idea on how this really affects you…that’s something
Matt
Boy, too bad I am a tax paying small business owner and not a federal employee.
This has no effect on me and my loved one. President Obama had better make a pretty strong stand with the GLBT community today. This alone is clearly not enough.
Not only does it only apply to a very small percentage of people who actually work for the government, it does absolutely nothing for any one else.
This afternoon he had better address DOMA, DADT and EDNA or his GLBT support is going to evaporate.
michael @ leonardmatlovich.com
I don’t care how great the details are the key one is that IF it is just a memorandum and NOT an executive order it will be far easier for any future administration to ignore.
Even President Satan issued three executive orders protecting gays: “don’t ask” volunteers for the military if they’re gay [yes, the restrictions once you’re in are evil]; no discrimination in federal employment based on being gay; no denial of security clearances based on being gay.
Tony
Actually, the details are out (and I hate him for many reasons, 1) God is in the mix 2)McClurkin 3) Warren etc. etc. etc. I also read the DOJ brief defending DOMA (ATTNY HERE, TOP TIER LAW SCHOOL, I work with someone who work with Barry and he used the word faggot several times in the presence of my friend, need I go on…..)
Tony
Correction “someone who worked with Barry…”
Dylan
This is actually good news guys….the reason health benefits aren’t included is because that would require legislation. This coverage is terrible in that it doesn’t make clear that at present Obama is acting as far as executive power will allow, without seeking legislative change. Yes, legislative change is required. Yes, Obama has been kinda sucky of queer issues so far, but this is a step forward. As long as he keeps stepping…we’ll see.
sweetdog
My question is why is he extending this memorandum to ONLY members of the federal government? Why is he leaving everybody else out in the cold? Why won’t this apply to ALL gay people regardless of whether you work for Uncle Sam or not?
Kurt
Let’s try one more time. We have a Constitution. Obama is doing what he can within the powers of the presidency.
As for “too bad I am a tax paying small business owner”, yeah, too bad, its the f*cking “tax paying small business owners” who have whined themselves exemptions to every progressive piece of legislation ever enacted. You people are the problem.
michael @ leonardmatlovich.com
@Kurt:
“We have a Constitution. Obama is doing what he can within the powers of the presidency”???
As usual, another Obamoonie demonstrates that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about when defending their Rev. Barack Myung Moon.
There is nothing in the Constitution that says he couldn’t make this an executive order rather than a memorandum.
There is nothing in the Constitution that forces him to defend laws such as DOMA and DADT employing homophobic lies and fantasies.
There is nothing in the Constitution that forbids him from issuing an executive order freezing DADT discharges. To the contrary, the Constitution gives Congress the ongoing control of the military and Congress has given the President power to ignore any law relating to discharges during a national emergency which by THEIR definition we’re in now.
Tell me again how he’s “doing what he can.”
Dan
Obama’s memo today (not even an executive order) will exclude health insurance, retirement benefits–nevermind about inheritance, Social Security survivorship, etc. It’s real effect is to give straights more cover to lie, so it’s actually worse than doing nothing. Obama would show more respect to gay people if he simply shut the f*** up.
Matt
@Kurt:
So are you saying I should not be paying taxes not be a business owner? Are you saying I should only work for the government or large corporations? A lot of anti progressive actions have been taken in the name of small business owners while the actual machinations are by large corporations.
Since you have no idea what progressive political battles I have fought for and you do not have any idea what kind of business I run, you have no idea what your are talking about.
You have to understand that as a small business owner I have very little negotiating power unlike government entities and larger corporations. I get screwed paying the highest rates of taxes, health care premiums and workers compensation rates. We are constantly fighting to stay alive.
Maybe you don’t know what a small business owner is. Here is a small sample: the gay bars you go to, this web site, doctors, lawyers, small retail stores, sandwich shops, etc. I know a lot of other small business owners who try very hard to push for progressive agendas.
Our business acts to help the GLBT movement, legal issues, political action and employee rights. Thanks for lumping me together with your imagined enemy. So, until you feel you can have a larger view of the GLBT community that includes small business owners STFU.
jjm16
i know sooo many federal employes, so i care about this. wait a minute-I don’t know any. that sucks.
Bill Perdue
These feeble, temporary concessions don’t include the military so as not to create any embarrassing problems as Obama continues to robustly enforce Bill Clintons DADT.
They’re meant to pacify our communities after the exposure of the Obama Administrations open bigotry in their comments supporting DOMA. That won’t happen. The main effect of these temporary concessions will be to make people angrier (except for a smallish group of flag wavers and those for whom Obama can do no wrong.)
If the Obama administration and the Democrats hadn’t become such openly hostile bigots they’d see that this little sop is actually an embarrassment to them and an insult to our communities. Do they really think we’re that cheap? Evidently they do because there are still Democrats who support them and attack same sex marriage.
It seems evident thought that most people who blundered and voted for Democrats are angry about this one. The Administrations obvious strategy, supported by Congressional Democrats is to ignore us until the next election cycle, when they’ll drop us like they did in 2007 and get back to pandering as usual.
With Democrats like this driving the bus who really needs Republicans?
When will those who put their partisanship before the needs of the movement by pushing votes for Obama, McCain and other bigots begin to draw the lessons of their ham-fisted bungling political errors.
DuttyBarb
Good 4 Federal Gays. Finally huh? How does it feel to be able to kinda sorta breathe the same free air normal people do huh??
Frankly i don’t know what u are all talking about this is the first step in many toward making you people happy.
Matt
@DuttyBarb:
Actiually Obama is not giving anything. These are the same benfits that have been given out for years.
http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/is-obama-giving-federal-agencies-right.html
As for the “you people” comment: What’s that all about?
TANK
@DuttyBarb:
That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.
Domaq
I am actually shocked by this. When the NYT and WSJ did an editorial and article respectively about the DOMA brief and the reaction of the gay community and the effect on the DNC fundraiser it definite got the attention of the administration. Because the Times and the WSJ are agenda setters for the rest of the new media, I am sure the Administration felt that had to do something immediately before today’s stories were all about Obama not following through on his promises.
So they leaked the story that Obama would be giving benefits to federal employees. Even the Times took that to mean health insurance and reported it that way (that was corrected later today). So all the news outlets today reported that Obama would be giving “benefits” to partners of federal employees. The actual talk (or whatever) is too late to hit the TV evening news (how convenient)
The majority of people hearing that gay employees will get “partner benefits” are going to assume that means health benefits. How many news organizations will follow-up with stories to explain exactly what was meant. Very few.
So the Administration knew how this would be reported. They are deliberately misleading the public while giving us almost nothing. That is why I am shocked. I really thought they were the good guys. Now I know they cannot really be trusted.