AWARE-LA » Chuck Schumer

U.S. Senators to LGBT Youth: "It Gets Better"

Ian Thompson, Washington Legislative Office — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:24:00 +0000

On Wednesday morning, 13 members of the U.S. Senate delivered a video message of hope and encouragement to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) young people across the country as part of the It Gets Better Project. Just as importantly, the senators committed themselves to working every day to bring about positive changes for LGBT people that will actually make their lives better, and our country a fairer and more just society.

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The 13 senators who appear in the video are Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Mark Udall (D-Colo.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

The ACLU looks forward to working with these senators and all members of Congress to make life better for LGBT people, and especially LGBT youth, by (among other things) working to establish comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBT students in all public K-12 schools across the country through passage of the Student Non-Discrimination Act. In addition, the ACLU will continue to be a leading voice in Washington, D.C., for passage of long-delayed federal employment non-discrimination protections for LGBT workers and repealing the discriminatory and unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which denies federal respect for the marriages of gay and lesbian couples and needlessly harms their children and families.

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Crosspost: Gut Check for GOP on Immigration

Imagine 2050 Editors — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:44:51 +0000

Robert Creamer from Huffington Post talks bi-partisan support and the choice before the GOP when it comes to immigration.

There is a quiet battle underway within the Republican Party that may soon break out into the open — and it will heavily impact whether the GOP can continue as a national political party in the decades ahead.

The conflict is over how the Party will position itself with respect to the question of immigration reform — and just as importantly — the fastest-growing demographic group in country: Hispanic Americans.

President Obama has made it clear that he is intent on fixing the broken immigration system by passing immigration reform. He would do it with a package that combines smart and effective border enforcement with a crackdown on illegal hiring and unfair labor practices, and by modernizing the legal immigration system and requiring those who are undocumented to register with the government, pass background checks, study English, pay taxes, and get in line to work towards citizenship.

That would make sure that those who are here, are in the system legally; that all workers and employers are paying their fair share of taxes; and that those immigrants who come in the future do so legally.

But, more than with most any other issue, passing immigration reform requires bipartisan support — both as a question of legislative math and politics.

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been deputized by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) — himself a strong advocate of reform — to be point man on this issue for the Democratic Majority. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has worked with Schumer for months to hammer out the specifics of a bi-partisan bill.

Most of the substantive issues appear to be close to resolution. The major outstanding problem is entirely political: will other Republicans be willing to join Graham and provide support for a truly bi-partisan effort?