The White House made no promises Wednesday to push for a comprehensive immigration bill that includes protections for binational same-sex couples.
Speaking to reporters, White House press secretary Jay Carney reiterated a statement by President Barack Obama from yesterday that the Senate bill introduced by a bipartisan group of senators, known as the “gang of eight,” is a compromise and does not entirely reflect the bill the president would have written.
“As the president said, this bill is clearly a compromise and no one will get everything they want from it, including the president,” Carney said. “That’s the nature of compromise.”
Although advocates have praised aspects of the 844-page “Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act,” which was introduced earlier today and will receive its first hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday, they have lamented that it does not include protections for same-sex couples.
Under the Defense of Marriage Act, immigrants in relationships with Americans of the same-sex are denied various protections, including eligibility for green cards, because the federal government does not recognize such relationships. According to the Family Equality Council, there are more than 36,000 binational same-sex couples living in the United States today. Nearly half of them are raising children. Without recognition of same-sex relationships in deportation proceedings, many of these families risk being torn apart, as has already happened to others.
Asked by NPR’s Ari Shapiro if Obama is willing to let go of provisions for same-sex couples, which the president had originally called for in his outline for comprehensive immigration reform, Carney demurred.
“I’m not going to negotiate out the process that will take some time in the Senate as this bill moves forward, or assess individual items within it,” Carney said. “It is certainly the case, as the president said in his statement, that not everything in the bill reflects how he would write it, but it broadly is consistent with his principles.”
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee and a sponsor of the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA), is expected to offer an amendment in committee to tack on UAFA, which would recognize immigrants in relationships with Americans of the same-sex and grant them various protections, including eligibility for visas. Such a provision has faced opposition from some Senate Republicans, who have warned it could sink an already fragile bipartisan bill.
“So we’ll see where this goes,” Carney said.
Read the full transcript here:
NPR: I wanted to ask about the immigration bill. President Obama spoke positively about the compromise offer yesterday, which does not include citizenship for same-sex couples of different nationalities. Is that something the President will push for in a final bill, or is this just the cost of compromise?
CARNEY: Well, the President did, as you know, meet yesterday with Senator Schumer and McCain, who briefed him on the bipartisan immigration reform bill that they have drafted and has now been submitted.
As the President said, this bill is clearly a compromise and no one will get everything they want from it, including the President. That’s the nature of compromise. But the bill is largely consistent with the principles he has laid out repeatedly. It would strengthen security at our borders and hold employers more accountable, and it would provide a pathway to earn citizenship for the 11 million individuals who are already in this country illegally. And that is significant progress, as the President noted in his statement.
This process will continue. We will work with lawmakers of both parties as the bill is considered. But it is very important to note that this is a bipartisan bill that represents compromise and reflects and is consistent with the principles that the President has long supported.
NPR: Does that mean he’s willing to let that provision go?
CARNEY: Again, this — I’m not going to negotiate out the process that will take some time in the Senate as this bill moves forward, or assess individual items within it. It is certainly the case, as the President said in his statement, that not everything in the bill reflects how he would write it, but it broadly is consistent with his principles. And we will see —
NPR: He will sign it?
CARNEY: Have you ever seen a bill of this size go from inception to a President’s desk unaltered? So we’ll see where this goes. So I don’t want to characterize any provision within it. I want to broadly make the point that the President made yesterday that it is consistent with his principles and that this is significant and important progress. And the members of the Gang of Eight should be commended for the progress they’ve made.
But we’re not there yet. And this is a big piece of business that requires broad bipartisan support, and much work remains to be done.
[Image: Jay Carney (Screenshot courtesy of YouTube)]
Social conservatives are claiming vindication for their views after Robin Westman, the 23-year-old behind the August 27 mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, was identified as transgender by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in an X post.
Armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, Westman fired dozens of rounds into the church during a morning Mass attended by students from the affiliated Annunciation Catholic School, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said, as reported by The Associated Press.
Laura Loomer, the far-right influencer with close ties to President Donald Trump, claimed during a deposition in her defamation lawsuit against HBO that sources close to the former president told her U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is gay.
Loomer is suing the network over comments by comedian Bill Maher, host of Real Time with Bill Maher, who joked that she had an affair with Trump. She alleges Maher's on-air remark about her "sleeping with Trump" -- echoing a rumor circulating at the time -- cost her a job in the Trump administration and the political influence that would have come with it. HBO has argued that Maher's comment is protected under the First Amendment, just as Loomer's own inflammatory remarks are shielded when she targets her political enemies.
Third Way, a centrist think tank tied to the Democratic Party's pro-corporate shift of the 1990s, has issued a memo listing 45 "profoundly alienating" words it says Democrats should avoid.
Marketed as advice on how to "speak plainly," the list is framed as a way to keep moderates and swing voters from viewing the party as elitist or out of touch.
In its summary of its recommendations, Third Way argues Democrats have fallen into a trap of using activist-approved language to court advocacy groups.
"These activists and advocates may take on noble causes, but in doing so they often demand compliance with their preferred messages; that is how ‘birthing person' became a stand-in for mother or mom," the memo states. The term was originally meant to acknowledge that some transgender men and nonbinary people can become pregnant.
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
