The Three Senators:
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
What do these three Senators have in common?
They are all fairly liberal East Coast Democrats who have yet to reject...
The One Bad Law, aka Defense of Marriage Act, aka DOMA.
They have not come out in support of, or co-sponsored, the Respect For Marriage Act (S-598), which overturns DOMA. Further, each Senator is from a state which has another Senator who has co-sponsored the Respect for Marriage Act.
What are they waiting for? Or why might they oppose it? Know one knows. That's part of your job, if you're reading this (and you are). If you live in Maryland, New Jersey or Rhode Island, how about calling their offices, telling them you would like them to support S 598, and asking why they have not done so? And then tell us what they say?
BARBARA MIKULSKI
MARYLAND
202-224-4654
email
503 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
410-962-4510 410-263-1805 301-345-5517 301-797-2826
1629 Thames Street Suite 400, Baltimore, MD 21231
JACK REED
RHODE ISLAND
202-224-4642
email
728 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
1-800-284-4200 401-943-3100 401-528-5200
1000 Chapel View Boulevard, Suite 290, Cranston, RI 02920
BOB MENENDEZ
NEW JERSEY
202-224-4744
email
528 Senate Hart Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
973-645-3030 856-757-5353
One Gateway Center, Suite 1100, Newark, New Jersey, 07102
From an initial set of 18 co-sponsors in March when it was introduced, the Respect for Marriage Act has accrued another ten co-sponsors in the last several months thanks in part to efforts like this one by the Courage Campaign and this one by Freedom To Marry, making a total of 29 Senators (including author Diane Feinstein) in favor.
DOMA isn't going to be repealed overnight. Of course. But every day that it doesn't get repealed, more horror stories such as this one and this one are going to keep happening. The more Senators we get on board, the closer the day comes to repeal. My Senators (Feinstein and Boxer) and Representative (Lee) are already on board, so I'm left to write diaries like this one, asking you to help convince your Senator.
If your Senator isn't one of the above, feel free to check the list of co-sponsors and call your Senator if he or she is not on it.
Let's help make the count thirty-two and climbing!
And The Orangutan? I just made that up.
9:37 AM PT: Groan. The diary originally listed Senator Lautenberg instead of Senator Menendez from New Jersey as not being a co-sponsor of S-598.
9:40 AM PT: New diary on DADT and Bachmann: by Clarknt67
10:02 AM PT: Representative Bill Owens of New York has signed on as a co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act. LezGetReal