Yes, the Senate voted in favor of the Matthew Shepard Act last night. As the Associated Press notes:
WASHINGTON — People attacked because of their sexual orientation or gender [or disability] would receive federal protections under a Senate-approved measure that significantly expands the reach of hate crimes law.
The Senate bill also would make it easier for federal prosecutors to step in when state or local authorities are unable or unwilling to pursue hate crimes.
The F-22 Fighter Jet
Of course, the AP also misses the biggest part of the story for right now, and that’s the fact that the bill to which the hate crimes measure was attached, the Department of Defense reauthorization bill, includes increased funding for F-22 fighter jets. The President and Secretary of Defense Gates have stated their opposition to the funding and Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs made it clear the President will veto the bill if the funding is in it. From Kerry Eleveld:
“The president has long supported the hate-crimes bill and gave his personal commitment to Judy Shepard that we will enact an inclusive bill,” said Shin Inouye, referring to Shepard’s Oval Office visit with the president earlier this year. “Unfortunately, the president will have to veto the Defense authorization bill if it includes wasteful spending for additional F-22s. . . . A presidential veto would not indicate any change in President Obama’s commitment to seeing the hate-crimes bill enacted.”
A Senate aide, though, told Kerry that Reid expects the hate-crimes language to stay in the bill even if its vetoed and sent back to the Senate. So, even though, it might take a back-and-forth from the White House regarding the F-22 funding, it does appear that the hate crimes prevention bill will make it into law at some point in the near future.
And for those upset that the politics of the F-22 might hold up the hate crimes measure from becoming law, I think we need to note that Republican opposition in the Senate for the bill being introduced as a stand-alone measure is the reason why Majority Leader Harry Reid and Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy chose to attach it to the DOD reauthorization as a way to get the bill more quickly passed into law. It’s clear that the vocal criticism of the lack of action on LGBT measures led to this fast-track approach, so I’d hold back the criticism right now.
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Chris Geidner is a lawyer in Washington, D.C., who writes at Law Dork, is the senior political writer at Metro Weekly and has written for The Atlantic Online, Advocate.com, Salon and other publications. An extended biography can be found
How about we pass the bill WITH the increased funding but add another part to the bill that ALL F-22’s built with this money will be used as prevention & prosecution of hate crimes? The prospect of having an F-22 rain down fire on your house if someone decides to attack someone protected by this bill, just might be the deterrent we need.
Couldn’t agree with Mangos more. Fantastic plan.