May 7, 2009 08:49 AM
Hate Crimes Bill Update
This is an update to our last Crosstalk Hotline message due to fast-moving events in the Senate.
We announced that the Hate Crimes Bill, which has passed the House, was scheduled for a vote on Wednesday by the Senate Judiciary Committee, without hearings, which would send it to the full Senate. That vote did not take place, so the bill is still in committee. Crosstalk has learned that instead, on Wednesday, Sen. Patrick Leahy quietly scheduled a Senate Judiciary hearing next Tuesday to consider “helping state and local law enforcement.”
This does not specifically mention S.909, known in the Senate as the "Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act". But sources have checked with Senator Leahy's staff and have learned that S.909 could be added into that hearing because one of its purposes is “to provide federal assistance to states, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes…”
Even though it is called a "hearing", it is likely that no witnesses will be called, and Republicans on the committee may even be blocked from entering into debate or offering amendments. Conservative watchdogs watching what is happening believe that Senator Leahy is trying to rush the hate bill through by a majority vote, catching Republican Judiciary members unprepared, and effectively blocking all testimony opposing this massive increase in protected categories for "hate crime" penalty enhancements, including 30 "sexual orientations", most of them deviant, and some against the law.
Again, here is a link to a list of the sexual orientations protected in the bill as passed by the House:
http://www.afa.net/sexualorientationshr1913.asp
Plus, the American Psychiatric Association lists another 547 different "Paraphilias" that will also be protected under the "hate crimes" bill.
Republicans are more likely to put up a fight in committee now, because Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania (who supports this legislation) has become a Democrat, he is no longer the ranking Republican member of the Judiciary Committee. Senator Jeff Sessions, a conservative from Alabama was in line to become the Ranking Republican member. We do not yet know if the G.O.P. will name a new Senator to the committee to bring their membership back up to eight.
Because the bill is still in committee, there is time for even more calls to Senators to ask them to stop this legislation.
Action Steps:
1. Call the Senators who are Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, especially if they are from your state, and insist that the Judiciary Committee hold full hearings on S.909, "Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act". A full hearing, dedicated to the Hate Crimes bill itself, will allow full debate and testimony from witnesses who can expose the severe implications should this bill become law. Ask the Republican members, especially, to vote against this bill in Committee.
Committee members include:
Democrats:
* Patrick J. Leahy (Ver.), Chairman
* Herb Kohl (Wis.)
* Dianne Feinstein (Calif.)
* Russell D. Feingold (Wis.)
* Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.)
* Richard J. Durbin (Illin.)
* Benjamin L. Cardin (Maryl.)
* Sheldon Whitehouse (Rhode Is.)
* Ron Wyden (Ore.)
* Amy Klobuchar (Minn.)
* Edward E. Kaufman (Dela.)
Republicans:
* Jeff Sessions (Alab.)
Ranking Member
* Orrin G. Hatch (Utah)
* Charles E. Grassley (Iowa)
* Jon Kyl (Ariz.)
* Lindsey Graham (S.C.)
* John Cornyn (Texas)
* Tom Coburn (Okla.)
Call the U.S. Senate though the Capitol Switchboard at
1-877-851-6437 or
1-202-225-3121
2. Because this bill will likely be voted out of committee, also call your own U.S. Senators to ask them to oppose S.909 when it comes to a vote by the full U.S. Senate.
Use the same Capitol Switchboard numbers:
1-877-851-6437 or
1-202-225-3121
