US House in Uproar After LGBT Amendment Narrowly Struck Down By Republicans - Polidicks

[url=http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/house-lgbt-amendment-discrimination-fight-223366]Source[/url] [quote]The House erupted in chaos Thursday morning with Democrats crying foul after Republicans hastily convinced a few of their own to switch their votes and narrowly block an amendment intended to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people from discrimination. It was an unruly scene on the floor, with Democrats chanting "shame!" after GOP leaders just barely muscled up the votes to reject, 212-213, an amendment by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) that would have effectively barred federal contractors from getting government work if they discriminate against the LGBT community. At one point, a monitor in the House gallery showed there were 217 votes supporting the legislation, eliciting cheers of joy from Democrats who thought the measure might actually pass. But over the course of about 10 minutes, those votes suddenly dropped one by one to 212 — and the amendment failed. A number of lawmakers from western states, who originally voted yes, changed their votes. According to a list tweeted out an hour after the vote by House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer’s (D-Md.) office, they included: Reps. Darrell Issa (Calif.), David Valadao (Calif.), Jeff Denham (Calif.), Greg Walden (Ore.), Mimi Walters (Calif.), David Yong (Iowa) and Bruce Poliquin (Maine). Their offices have not yet responded to request for comment Amendment author Maloney was furious with Republicans for how they handled the floor fight over his offering. He singled out Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in particular for criticism, saying the number two House Republican personally lobbied GOP members to change their votes when it looked like Maloney's proposal would pass. "The leader [McCarthy] went around and twisted their arms, and they voted for discrimination," Maloney said. When Maloney complained directly to McCarthy, he said the majority leader told him "to get back on your own side." "The members who switched are going to hold a very special place in American history as the people who didn't have the guts to stand up and support the will of the House," Maloney said off the chamber floor after the vote. "They literally snatched discrimination out of the jaws of equality." A GOP aide on the floor at the time said Maloney was actually the instigator, telling POLITICO that he came over to the Republican side and was angrily taunting conservatives for their votes. Republicans are saying privately that if the amendment had passed it would have killed the appropriations bill because Republicans would no longer vote for it. "Our veterans and troops were prioritized over a political messaging amendment that could have jeopardized the final passage of the appropriations bill," said Speaker Paul Ryan's spokeswoman AshLee Strong in a statement. The fracas highlights the risks for GOP leadership's commitment to an "open amendment" process, where lawmakers are afforded wide latitude to offer changes to legislation, like the military construction and veterans affairs spending bill that was on the floor Thursday. Ryan upon taking the gavel vowed he would allow more amendments on the floor, but Thursday's drama will surely test his commitment to that process. [/quote]

Holy Shit

So what's the excuse? I mean if you're against this you believe government contractors can discriminate against gays, there isn't really a religious aspect to it Further their excuse about veterans first is a joke considering all the gay and lesbian veterans that are still waiting for the government to justly compensate them for their service after being discharged over the decades since don't ask don't tell

I cant fucking believe how much of a monster republicans are

Idk why anyone ever expected Ryan the media darling to be any different than boehner

[QUOTE=Sableye;50353995]So what's the excuse? I mean if you're against this you believe government contractors can discriminate against gays, there isn't really a religious aspect to it Further their excuse about veterans first is a joke considering all the gay and lesbian veterans that are still waiting for the government to justly compensate them for their service after being discharged over the decades since don't ask don't tell[/QUOTE] If you read the article you'd see the excuse [Quote] Republicans are saying privately that if the amendment had passed it would have killed the appropriations bill because Republicans would no longer vote for it. "Our veterans and troops were prioritized over a political messaging amendment that could have jeopardized the final passage of the appropriations bill," said Speaker Paul Ryan's spokeswoman AshLee Strong in a statement.[/quote] Its not a great one but it is valid

[QUOTE=Sableye;50353995]So what's the excuse? I mean if you're against this you believe government contractors can discriminate against gays, there isn't really a religious aspect to it Further their excuse about veterans first is a joke considering all the gay and lesbian veterans that are still waiting for the government to justly compensate them for their service after being discharged over the decades since don't ask don't tell[/QUOTE] And if they cared about the veterans, why did they wait for so damned long? Why didn't they just bumrush the VA and start cracking down on the corruption???

This is why I will never vote for a republican as long as I live. I can not morally support any group of people that think discrimination is okay as long as it doesn't affect them.

[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;50354046]And if they cared about the veterans, why did they wait for so damned long? Why didn't they just bumrush the VA and start cracking down on the corruption???[/QUOTE] let me be clear, congress has not passed legislation that would blanket grant benefits for those veterans discharged under dont ask dont tell, which were run out of the military (through kangaroo courts) through dishonerable discharges, making them ineligible for a lot of benefits other veterans have as well as lost pensions saying they care about veterans as an excuse to shoot down LGBT protections is ironic because those protections were needed to stop veterans from being discriminated against in the first place [editline]19th May 2016[/editline] the Restore Honor to Service Members Act has been languishing in congress for almost a year with no action

Gee thanks Republicans. I love that people can legally discriminate against me for who I am. :ok:

[QUOTE=phygon;50354041]If you read the article you'd see the excuse Its not a great one but it is valid[/QUOTE] Republicans don't give a shit about the veterans.

[QUOTE=Anti Christ;50354049]This is why I will never vote for a republican as long as I live. I can not morally support any group of people that think discrimination is okay as long as it doesn't affect them.[/QUOTE] And before the inevitable happens and someone posts about how Trump is going to turn the Republicans' anti-gay stance around... [url]http://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/trump-scotus-pick-william-pryor-would-have-let-states-jail-lgbt-people-for-having-sex-in-their-homes/[/url] (via [url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-releases-list-of-names-of-potential-united-states-supreme-c]Trump's own press release[/url])

[QUOTE=Zeke129;50354229]And before the inevitable happens and someone posts about how Trump is going to turn the Republicans' anti-gay stance around... [url]http://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/trump-scotus-pick-william-pryor-would-have-let-states-jail-lgbt-people-for-having-sex-in-their-homes/[/url] (via [url=https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/donald-j.-trump-releases-list-of-names-of-potential-united-states-supreme-c]Trump's own press release[/url])[/QUOTE] whats even more hilarious is that he proposed someone who outright hates him (the other ultra right wing judge) [editline]19th May 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=ilikecorn;50354291]It's like this: Man I wish I could be outraged by this, but fuck i'm glad i'm glad i'll still get my pension check. Seriously, congress uses vets as an excuse all the time, and pulls the same "OH NO, IF THIS HAPPENS WE CAN'T PAY YOU" shit. Not to mention the state of the VA healthcare system, I adore waiting 7 months to see a MH specialist (if I needed to see them, that is)[/QUOTE] i'd also like to point out, the republicans "private" solution has made things worse [url]http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/05/16/477814218/attempted-fix-for-va-health-delays-creates-new-bureaucracy[/url] [quote]There was a problem, though. Congress gave the VA only 90 days to set up the system. Facing that extremely tight time frame, the VA turned to two private companies to administer the program and help veterans get an appointment with a doctor and then work with the VA to pay that doctor. Although the idea sounds simple enough, the fix hasn't worked out as planned. Wait times have gotten worse — not better. Compared with this time last year, there are 70,000 more appointments that took vets at least a month to be seen.[/quote] basically, they dumped the job on private contractors last year and low and behold, they didn't do shit and hospitals aren't even getting paid, which is even worse than the government run VA

[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;50354046]And if they cared about the veterans, why did they wait for so damned long? Why didn't they just bumrush the VA and start cracking down on the corruption???[/QUOTE] if they cared they would have done that years ago.

[QUOTE=Sableye;50354313]whats even more hilarious is that he proposed someone who outright hates him (the other ultra right wing judge)[/QUOTE] If it isn't offensive that I say this, America's the only supposedly 'first-world' Western country that I know of in which people who reject science and base their worldviews on religion, people who openly discriminate against other citizens of their nation and who actively argue that the rights of certain minorities, visible or otherwise, should be taken away, not just frequently but CONSISTENTLY find their way into positions of power and authority. And don't get me started on corruption. As your election draws nearer, all I can say is I am eternally grateful I wasn't born an American. And that's really fucked up, and I feel bad for the many Americans that seem to have their head screwed on straight and their eyes on the big picture, because they've got to put up with this metric ton of bullshit. It's just a shame there aren't nearly enough of those Americans to elect a sensible government or push for electoral reform. Don't get me wrong, I understand that it's a bad idea to think of the USA as a single country - more as a collection of smaller countries under a single banner. Some of those States would make Saudi Arabia look forward-thinking, from what I've seen of them and their people. And it's a damn shame the rest of you have to put up with them.

[QUOTE=Anti Christ;50354049]This is why I will never vote for a republican as long as I live. I can not morally support any group of people that think discrimination is okay as long as it doesn't affect them.[/QUOTE] so how about that affirmative action supported by Democrats then?

[QUOTE=archangel125;50354396]If it isn't offensive that I say this, America's the only supposedly 'first-world' Western country that I know of in which people who reject science and base their worldviews on religion, people who openly discriminate against other citizens of their nation and who actively argue that the rights of certain minorities, visible or otherwise, should be taken away, not just frequently but CONSISTENTLY find their way into positions of power and authority. And don't get me started on corruption. As your election draws nearer, all I can say is I am eternally grateful I wasn't born an American.[/QUOTE] i'm not trying to point fingers, but europe isn't exactly any better, germany's government is like a hive mind, too german to object to things when the head does something completely rediculous france has had its share of rediculous governments and leaders in the modern era italy has litterally elected convicts for their highest offices, and kangaroo courts laugh at the absurdity of their justice system we are just way more prominent because we're america and people look to us

boy oh boy suicide is starting to look really tempting as if tennessee's "we don't have to offer you any psychiatric help if you're LGBT" bill wasn't bad enough fuck everything

I can't tell for sure, but it seems as if the amendment was basically a rider they were hoping to attach onto the bill. I'm strongly in favor of LGBT rights but I cannot stand riders. This should be an actual bill brought forward instead of trying to get an amendment completely irrelevant to the bill at hand attached.

We just witnessed political suicide, ladies and gentlemen. Those house reps are losing their re-election bids for sure.

[QUOTE=Svinnik;50354474]so how about that affirmative action supported by Democrats then?[/QUOTE] Oh please, as unfortunate as affirmative action can be it's nowhere near as bad as the shit the republicans try to do.

[QUOTE=Svinnik;50354474]so how about that affirmative action supported by Democrats then?[/QUOTE] i dont care for the democrats either, but at the very least, they [I]sometimes[/I] throw a bone to my community. republicans outright hate me for the way i live my life. that is unacceptable. if you cant see the difference, there is no conversation to be had here.

[QUOTE=TestECull;50354610]We just witnessed political suicide, ladies and gentlemen. Those house reps are losing their re-election bids for sure.[/QUOTE] Normally I'd say no but then a lot of names are from California which you'd think wouldn't let that shit fly

Boy that is some gut-wrenching stuff, I'm actually pretty disgusted with the republicans. Fucking christ.

The article doesn't list the text of the bill. I'm curious as to why they dissented, and it's strange why the article gives no information about what the amendment does. Protection from discrimination could mean anything, and a bill that does this has the potential for massive overreach. The last thing the United States needs to do is turn gays into legal human minefields in the workplace. It will make hiring and working with gays or lesbians really unattractive if anyone could face prosecution for saying something the wrong way.

[QUOTE=phygon;50354041]If you read the article you'd see the excuse Its not a great one but it is valid[/QUOTE] How is "we're not voting for this amendment because if we do, we're not going to vote for the thing being amended because it has the amendment on it" a valid excuse? It's just circular logic.

According to the [URL="http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4597017/democrats-protest-anti-lgbt-discrimination-amendment-vote"]C-SPAN recording of it all[/URL], its [URL="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/4974/text"]HR-4974[/URL]. And yes Veterans seem to be the subject matter.

[QUOTE=LoneWolf_Recon;50355411]According to the [URL="http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4597017/democrats-protest-anti-lgbt-discrimination-amendment-vote"]C-SPAN recording of it all[/URL], its [URL="https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/4974/text"]HR-4974[/URL]. And yes Veterans seem to be the subject matter.[/QUOTE] It seems like a pretty reasonable amendment, no federal dollars to contractors that discriminate on a bill about contracting Maybe it should have been limited to the scope of the bill but that wasn't the issue now

[QUOTE=dragon1972;50355339]The last thing the United States needs to do is turn gays into legal human minefields in the workplace. It will make hiring and working with gays or lesbians really unattractive if anyone could face prosecution for saying something the wrong way.[/QUOTE] I'm not sure you understand how protected classes work... the problem now is that they already can't get in the door. How would it make them harder to get hired if they can't get hired in the first place?

[QUOTE=Sableye;50353995]So what's the excuse? I mean if you're against this you believe government contractors can discriminate against gays, there isn't really a religious aspect to it Further their excuse about veterans first is a joke considering all the gay and lesbian veterans that are still waiting for the government to justly compensate them for their service after being discharged over the decades since don't ask don't tell[/QUOTE] Veterans are always used as pawns in a "think of the children!" strategy when it comes to oppressing minorities. They don't give two fucking shits about veterans besides that. The recent events involving LGBT people have filled me with so much rage. I need a healthy outlet for it all.