We WON! Celebrate!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-15-2004
We WON! Celebrate!!!
10
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 8:56pm

The FMA has been defeated!

Dear Sandra,

In the battle for fairness, the Federal Marriage Amendment suffered a resounding defeat this morning in the U.S. Senate.


Not only did not a single Senator on our side buckle to pressure and advertising campaigns from right-wing groups to switch their vote, but we gained two Senators, Senators Gregg (R-NH) and Specter (R-PA), who voted the other way in 2004.


President Bush and the Republican leadership gambled their dwindling political capital on a discriminatory amendment and came up empty.


To read the coverage in the press, visit http://www.hrc.org/voteno/headlines.htm.


Thank you for your crucial support. We have been working 24/7 to get this message of fairness out across the country and to leaders on Capitol Hill, but HRC's secret weapon has been you.


You sent more than 250,000 messages to Capitol Hill. Many of you gave time, energy and funds to the cause. Your voices ensured that the message of equality was heard loud and clear. Your support has made all the difference, enabling HRC to assemble a strong lobby team, work daily with the news media, provide vital support to our friends in the Senate, and work daily with a broad-based coalition of over 120 organizations and with religious leaders opposed to discrimination.


Please take a moment to take one more action, and thank your Senators if they stood with our community today. By calling the capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121, you can reach the offices of the Senators who voted this morning to keep discrimination and bias out of the Constitution. A list of Senators who voted with us appears below.


This is a day to celebrate. But HRC is already laying the groundwork for what will undoubtedly be an even harder-fought effort in the volatile, right-wing House of Representatives. Speaker Boehner has said today that he will bring the FMA up for a vote in July.


Our work is far from finished. We're counting on you to continue your active, vocal and determined support of the Human Rights Campaign and the fight for equality.


Thank you.


Joe
Solmonese
Joe Solmonese
President


Senators who voted with us:





Akaka, Daniel K. (D-HI)
Kohl, Herb (D-WI)

Baucus, Max (D-MT)
Landrieu, Mary L. (D-LA)

Bayh, Evan (D-IN)
Lautenberg, Frank R. (D-NJ)

Biden, Joseph R. (D-DE)
Leahy, Patrick J. (D-VT)

Bingaman, Jeff (D-NM)
Levin, Carl (D-MI)

Boxer, Barbara (D-CA)
Lieberman, Joseph I. (D-CT)

Cantwell, Maria (D-WA)
Lincoln, Blanche

Sandr

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2003
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 10:32pm
I Know!....How Awesome! ....How Cool!..
Thanks for the list of those Senators...


 C  >^. A .

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-15-2004
Wed, 06-07-2006 - 11:19pm

I thought that list was great too! I was happy to see Arlen Spector from PA


(my home state) vote with us this time.

Sandr

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-04-2004
Thu, 06-08-2006 - 6:44am
Offers up an amendment to ban spiteful and hateful presidents... and the White House would look great with a rainbow flying over it's roof...

Where do you go
When the wind doesn't blow
Are you still like the trees
Only bend with a breeze


~
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-23-2006
Thu, 06-08-2006 - 7:23am
I am really happy too and it was great to see 2 republicans on the list!!!

 PPCLSIG.jpg picture by CalyD44

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2005
Thu, 06-08-2006 - 8:33am

I most definitely agree with

Photobucket


iVillage Member
Registered: 11-16-2005
Thu, 06-08-2006 - 8:35am

Thanks for sharing, Sandra! I was also disappointed that there were no senators on the list from the southeast, but that's not surprising at all. ~sigh


At least we're making strides somewhere!


Photobucket


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 06-08-2006 - 1:24pm
It's sad that time and money was wasted on this!
I'm not sad FMA's money was wasted though.
I wonder if actual anxiety existed that this bill would pass? I know I didn't feel it.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 06-08-2006 - 1:28pm

Yeah, southeast the middle america is where the focus, time and money should be spend to update their thinking.

I was surprised to see John Sununu on the list.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-27-2005
Thu, 06-08-2006 - 10:32pm
I am soooo happy for you!!!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-15-2004
Fri, 06-09-2006 - 12:11am

Sandr