Matthew Shepard Bill Passes House Now Moves to Senate

[FreeState]

http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2009/04/matthew-shepard-bill-passes-house-now.html

The Local Law Enforcement Protection Act H.R. 1913 (Matthew Shepard Bill) has passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 249-175. The bill expands the federal hate crimes statute to include actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity.

The bill will now move on to the senate, please contact your senators and urge them to vote for passage of the bill.

[Ian David]

1. I've got John Kerry and Ted Kennedy. They're already onboard. n/t

[tbyg52]

2. Got yer K&R

but there is no point in calling *my* senators, except to annoy them. (So I might do it anyway... ;) )

[EFerrari]

3. Will do.

:kick:

[mrbarber]

4. So 175...

Soulless, hate-filled bigots voted against it?

Let me guess, they all had "R"'s next to their names, right?

[FreeState]

5. 17 Dems voted against it unfortunately and 18 GOP voted yes

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll223.xml

Dems that voted against us:
Boren
Bright
Carney
Childers
Davis (AL)
Davis (TN)
Donnelly (IN)
Ellsworth
Gordon (TN)
Griffith
McIntyre
Melancon
Peterson
Ross
Shuler
Tanner
Taylor

Dems that did not vote:
Berry
Butterfield
Miller, George
Murtha
Perriello
Ruppersberger
Stark
Teague

GOP that voted with us:
Biggert
Bono Mack
Cao
Cassidy
Castle
Coffman (CO)
Dent
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Frelinghuysen
Gerlach
Kirk
Lance
LoBiondo
Platts
Reichert
Ros-Lehtinen
Walden

[rg302200]

7. Shuler!!!!

First I am glad this bill passed, second I am also happy that our party is a big tent party but MAN I can't stand Heath Shuler....I hope he does run for the Senate just to watch him lose! I haven't respected the guy since he head butted the wall like an idiot...this just made it all the more possible that I will never stand the guy!

[HillWilliam]

10. Shuler is bad enough. The worst, most embarrassing NC performance

was that hateful, spiteful, bigoted, wicked-witch idiot whelp of a swine and a coyote, Virginia Foxx. Sweet Jeebus Aitch Cripes on the back of an ass in the shade of a fig tree eating a soda cracker, I despise that woman.

Matthew Sheppard's death was a hoax? A f'ing HOAX??? The f'ing nerve. The brass-balled and tin-plated nerve.

That petty, spoiled, viscious, vile woman. She has done nothing but rubber-stamp nutcase neoKKKon agenda her entire legislative career. Then she comes out with this bit of "wisdom". It's all over the news here and they're makin' her wear it home as is richly deserved.

The only -- only -- positive thing I can say for her is that she was the only remaining alternative to Vernon Robinson, who is NC's even batshittier answer to Alan Keyes.

[bluedawg12]

9. My wallet is closed for the mid terms- I have a very good memory.

No money for bigots.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

11. Hey my Republican congresscritter actually voted for it

[jody]

6. Why does HR 1913 make it a crime to attempt to do bodily injury with three means and no others?

"through the use of fire, a firearm, or an explosive or incendiary device, attempts to cause bodily injury to any person"

I raised this question a year or two ago re the original bill that did not pass.

IMO it's a crime to attempt to cause bodily injury with a knife or club just as much as with a firearm or explosive device.

For the record, I'm glad HR 1913 passed the house and hope the senate passes it.

[Chulanowa]

8. That IS weird

And I can't think of any reason for that limitation.