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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: TideGlider who wrote (315125)	7/16/2009 4:27:24 PM
From: goldworldnet	2 Recommendations Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793957

Senate Vote On Hate Crimes Thursday By Kerry Eleveld Kerry Eleveld Thu Jul 16, 6:33 am ET news.yahoo.com The Senate is expected to vote Thursday on whether to attach to the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act to the Department of Defense authorization bill. Democratic Senate majority leader Harry Reid called for the vote Wednesday. "We must act in the name of Judy Shepard, of her son Matthew Shepard," Reid said from the Senate floor, "so that others may know justice. If their country doesn't stand up for them, if we don't stand up for them, who will?" Most Republicans remain opposed to measure, but Democrats hope to get help from GOP moderates such as Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine and Judd Gregg of New Hampshire in order to meet the 60-vote threshold necessary to pass the amendment. But Senator John McCain of Arizona flatly called the vote an abuse of power. "While we have young Americans fighting and dying in two wars, were going to take up the hate crimes bill because the majority leader thinks that's more important, more important than legislation concerning the defense of this nation," said McCain. McCain called the measure "explosive" and said it would force senators to make an unfair choice when the Defense Department bill comes to a vote. "Those of us who oppose this legislation — and it is important legislation — will be faced with a dilemma of choosing between a bill which can harm, in my view, the United States of America and its judicial system and a bill defending the nation." The hate-crimes measure will broaden the definition of victims from anyone targeted on the basis of their race, national origin or religion to include gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. It will also allow the federal government to provide assistance to local law authorities investigating a bias crime and, in cases where local authorities are unable or unwilling to prosecute a hate crime, federal authorities will be able to step in. * * *