Demand a floor vote on the repeal of DOMA now.
Protect marriage equality in Maine
The Hill has a particularly irritating article today about Democratic moderates complaining that the leadership isn't doing enough to protect them from the voters. Specifically, these Democrats are worried they might actually have to take sides on things, and that would be bad:
Pelosi also helped Blue Dogs avoid a showdown with the powerful National Rifle Association by allowing a vote on a bill that would erase many of the District of Columbia's gun laws. And to the relief of some centrist Democrats, the Speaker has refused to have the House vote on immigration reform and a union-backed "card-check" bill until the Senate acts first.(...)
What irks them most is the sense that the Senate won't pass anything so strong, if it passes anything at all. So they expect to get beaten up for voting on a bill that will never become law.
"What bothers me is I was put in that position unnecessarily," said one vulnerable lawmaker.
Yes--it must be bothersome to have to take a position on an issue when you are a member of Congress. What an annoyance!
It should not make any difference whether a member of Congress is forced to vote on a bill or not, because that member of Congress should have a public statement detailing their position on that vote or potential vote. They should tell voters straight up that they support or oppose card-check, and if they support or oppose erasing most D.C. gun laws. From that point, voters can make an informed decision, and the candidates can be attacked or supported based on their stated positions.
Instead, these centrists are anonymously complaining that they are forced to take a public position on these issues. That is abdication of leadership, and a rejection of the basic idea that voters have a right to know who is representing them in Congress.
For progressive activists, this attempt by centrist Democrats to avoid taking positions is a straight up attempt to trick us. In 2007, six Senators who are all now Democrats--Tom Carper (DE), Blanche Lincoln (AR), Ben Nelson (NE), Mark Pryor (AR), Arlen Sepcter (PA), Jim Webb (VA)--voted in favor of an Employee Free Choice Act with card check, but flipped in 2009 once that legislation had a chance of passing. They told us they favored something they actually opposed, and raked in campaign contributions at least partly as a result of this. Mark Pryor received over $200K directly from labor during his 2008 re-election bid, for example.
It is difficult to see how this attempt to avoid taking a vote on legislation favored by progressives is anything other than conservative Democrats trying to trick progressive Democrats into handing over their money, time and votes. It is a game they think they can play with us, probably because they have successfully played it with us for some time now. We need to work to put an end to it.
Legislation recently introduced earlier this week to repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act is one upcoming opportunity to put an end to these games. Even though this legislation was co-sponsored by 91 members of the House, from what I am told by sources on Capital Hill, the Democratic leadership wants to avoid a floor vote. Once again, the leadership is working to protect them both from progressive activists and from their own constituents.
Enough of this nonsense. If Democrats want help from us, then at the very least they need to tell us where they stand. Representative Joe Sestak, whose campaign I support and work for, has put out a petition to Speaker Pelosi demanding a floor vote on the repeal of DOMA. Stop allowing the leadership to play games like these. Demand a floor vote on the repal of DOMA now.
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