Emily
MikeYesterday, I wrote that the U.S. Congress had allowed to become law the decision of the District of Columbia City Council that recognized same-sex marriages performed in other states. Now there is further evidence that this Congress is trying to stay out of the way of decisions made by D.C.
Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee rejected an amendment to the new federal appropriations bill that would have enabled the continuance of a ban on using local funds to help low-income women in D.C. access abortion services. This is a big victory, but of course the bill will still have to go through the Senate committee and the full Congress. If it is passed in its current form, the D.C. government will be able to reinstate of practice of using local funds to fund abortions for low-income women.
In addition, in its current form, the bill also ends a ban on the use of federal funds for needle exchange programs and a ban that prohibits the use of federal funds for registration of domestic partners in the District. Contrary to what some had expected, there were no attempts by Republicans to ban gay marriage nor were there any amendments offered to obliterate D.C.’s gun laws.
Most of the restrictions that the new bill would overturn were implemented in the late 1990s under a Republican-controlled Congress. It’s good to know that this new Congress is trying to allow the citizens of D.C. to implement the laws they want without federal intervention.
Filed under: Reproductive Rights, Same-sex Marriage Tagged: | Abortion, Same-sex Marriage
