Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 23:40:07 -0500
From: ACTION ALERT Moderator 
Subject: ACTION ALERT: Oppose Riggs Amendment

[ from Human Rights Campaign, http://www.hrc.org ]

THE RIGGS AMENDMENT TO THE VA/HUD APPROPRIATIONS BILL

TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO SUPPORT LOCAL CONTROL AND OPPOSE THE RIGGS
AMENDMENT

The Riggs Amendment to the VA-HUD Appropriations bill (H.R. 4194) would
deny federal funds to any locality that requires private companies and
organizations contracting with (or receiving a grant from) the locality to
provide health care benefits to the unmarried, domestic partners of their
employees.

   * Local control. The Riggs' amendment is an example of gross federal
     micro-management of local government. If enacted, this amendment sets
     a dangerous precedent, allowing federal interference with any decision
     of local government.

   * Witholding federal funding. The VA-HUD Appropriations bill includes
     funding for veterans disability benefits and health care services,
     homeless programs, housing programs for people living with HIV/AIDS,
     low-income elderly housing, and FEMA projects. Thousands of people -
     veterans, the disabled, the elderly, victims of natural disasters -
     should not be put in jeopardy in order to punish a locality for
     setting government policy clearly within its jurisdiction.

   * Time is short. With so few days left on the legislative calendar,
     Congress should not delay the appropriations process by politicizing
     this issue. It is irresponsible for Congress to act on such an
     important and far-reaching matter without appropriate committee
     consideration and debate. Cities and the people they serve deserve a
     fair hearing.

   * In step with today's business. Many companies recognize that an
     employee who is denied benefits for his or her life partner is being
     paid less than someone who receives benefits for his or her spouse.
     Equality in employee compensation is a legitimate public policy goal
     recognized by hundreds of cities, municipalities, private and public
     colleges and universities, and private employers, both large and
     small, around the country. Following are just a few of many examples
     of companies who offer domestic partnership benefits: Aetna, American
     Express, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NY, Charles Schwab and Company,
     Eastman Kodak, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, JP Morgan, Northern Telecom,
     Reebok, Shell Oil, Tropicana/Dole Beverages, and Union Theological
     Seminary.

   * Less federal government. Giving local control back to the American
     people has been a major theme for the reform-minded,
     Republican-controlled Congress. The Riggs amendment flies in the face
     of this principle.

[ Moderator Note: Take Action by going to HRC action center
  at http://www.hrc.org  and write to your senators/reps ]

-- 
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