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The long-debated bill to strengthen the federal hate-crime law to cover violence against gays moved through the Democratic-controlled House today over Republican objections that it was attached to a defense bill.
The legislation will enact significant changes to law enacted in the days after Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968.
"No American should ever have to suffer persecution or violence because of who they are, how they look or what they believe," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., noting that hate crimes legislation has been on her agenda since she first entered Congress more than two decades ago. She added that it's been 11 years since the gay Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard, whose name was attached to the legislation, was murdered.
The measure, expected to go before the Senate shortly previously faced a veto threat from President George W. Bush. The measure enjoys President Obama's support. Civil rights groups and their Democratic allies have come close to expanding the hate crimes bill several times in the past decade, but have always fallen short because of lack of House-Senate coordination or opposition from former President Bush.
The bill was attached to a must-pass $680 billion defense policy bill that the Senate could approve as early as next week. The House vote on the defense bill was 281-146. Unlike usual defense bill votes, most of those in opposition — 131 out of the 146 — were Republicans objecting strenuously to inclusion of what they referred to as "thought crimes" legislation in a defense bill.
Critics argued that pastors expressing beliefs about homosexuality could be prosecuted if their sermons were connected to later acts of violence against gays. However, supporters of the bill noted that prosecution could occur only when bodily injury is involved, and no minister or protester could be targeted for expressing opposition to homosexuality.
The bill also creates a new federal crime to penalize attacks against U.S. service members on account of their service. Hate crimes legislation enacted after King's assassination defined hate crimes as those carried out on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin. The proposed expansion would include crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
FBI reports indicate that there are some 8,000 hate crimes reported around the country annually. More than half of those are motivated by racial bias. Next most frequent are crimes based on religious bias at around 18 percent and sexual orientation at 16 percent.
Written by Jesse Slome
Los Angeles, CA
Exclusive to HULIQ.com
Posted October 9th, 2009 by Jesse Slome
