Sen. Leahy calls it a "basic fairness." Rep. Nadler says that keeping people who love each other apart is a "wanton, gratuitous cruelty." The comments are in reference to the Uniting American Families bill, which the two men recently reintroduced in Congress. The Uniting American Families Act eliminates discrimination by giving same-sex partners of American citizens and lawful permanent residents the same rights as heterosexual couples to obtain residency.
The Uniting American Families Act or UAFA was first introduced in 2000, and recently reintroduced on February 12, 2009 by Sen. Leahy and Rep. Nadler. The bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act by including a "permanent partner" term to define:
an individual 18 or older who: (1) is in a committed, intimate relationship with another individual 18 or older in which both individuals intend a lifelong commitment; (2) is financially interdependent with the other individual; (3) is not married to, or in a permanent partnership with, any other individual other than the individual; (4) is unable to contract with the other individual a marriage cognizable under this Act; and (5) is not a first, second, or third degree blood relation of the other individual. Defines a "permanent partnership" as the relationship existing between two permanent partners.President Obama did not co-sponsor the UAFA during his time as a senator but he did express his desire for immigration equality, calling it "a moral imperative." Back then, Obama's camp explained that Obama was holding off on his support of the UAFA because he wanted to see better fraud protections. This seems to be covered in the latest bill, which specifically addresses immigration fraud.
If you support the UAFA, please consider contacting your member of Congress to seek their support for the bill.
Photo: David McNew/Getty Images
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