Same Sex Benefits Bill Discriminates Against Heterosexuals

What's the answer? It isn't that tough to figure out, if it discriminates, it isn't a good bill. Also it isn't enough that the federal employee doesn't have enough benefits already, they need more?

By the way, aren't the federal employees exempt from the new health care bill? You know the one that destroys are health care in favor of congress grabbing power and control over all of our lives. Well, except for some unions employees and the federals that is. Wait, is this more discrimination? Is this buying votes with our tax dollars?

Why is this even being discussed or voted on? hmmmm Maybe it's agenda driven? - nah!


Same-Sex Benefits Would Cost Taxpayers $900 Million

Taxpayers would have to foot an $898 million bill over the next decade to extend health insurance and other benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Committees in both the Senate and House have approved “domestic partners” legislation, and President Obama has voiced support for the bill.

Benefits for same-sex partners would include health insurance, survivor annuities, compensation for work-related injuries, disability, family leave, life insurance and dental benefits, according to CNSNews. “CBO estimated that enacting [the House version] would increase direct spending by $596 million through 2019,” a CBO report issued on Dec. 17 disclosed. “Over the same period, CBO estimates that discretionary spending would also increase by $302 million, assuming appropriation of the necessary funds.”

Sen. Joe Lieberman said after the bill cleared the Senate committee: “Will this measure add to the total cost of providing federal employee benefits? Yes, but only by a tiny fraction — less than five-hundredths of a percent — of the total pay and benefits for federal employees. And we will offset the cost with cuts elsewhere in the federal budget so the bill will be fiscally responsible.”
Lieberman did not specify where the cost offsets would come from.

The CBO assumes that about 0.33 percent of federal employees would register a same-sex domestic partner if given the opportunity. The CBO also estimates “that approximately 80 percent of individuals eligible under the proposal would move from single to family health coverage and that 85 percent would elect a survivor benefit for a domestic partner.”

Critics have charged that the proposal is an indirect attack on the Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the federal government from recognizing "same-sex marriages" and gives states the option to refuse to recognize such unions from another state.

They also assert that it would promote discrimination against unmarried heterosexual couples. The legislation would cover only homosexual partners, not unmarried heterosexual ones.
The bill awaits a vote on the floor of the Senate and House. But according to Federal Times, passage in the Senate is uncertain and perhaps unlikely due to opposition from conservative Republicans.