Politico
By Seung Min Kim
May 6, 2013
Two Republican members of the Senate Gang of Eight on immigration said Monday that they won’t support including provisions that would allow the bill to cover same-sex couples.
Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters that they oppose the amendment, which would allow gay Americans to sponsor their foreign-born partners for green cards.
When asked whether he would withdraw his support for the bill if the provision were included, McCain said: “Before we get that far, I’ll do everything in my power to see that it’s not there.”
McCain said the provision was “not necessary” for the immigration bill.
“Bad idea,” Graham said as he stepped into a Senate elevator, waving his hand at reporters. It’ll “kill the bill.”
The Gang’s two other Republicans — Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Jeff Flake of Arizona — have made similar comments in recent days.
The markup of the 844-page immigration bill is set to begin in the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. The committee’s chairman, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), is expected to propose the amendment, formally called the Uniting American Families Act.
Leahy would not comment Monday on whether he would offer the amendment during the markup, set to begin Thursday.
Because Democrats outnumber Republicans on the panel 10-8, the amendment would pass if all Democrats were on board. Gay-rights advocates had been concerned about whether Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) would back the amendment in committee, but she said Monday that she would support it, under certain conditions.
The senior Judiciary member said she would vote for the amendment if it required gay couples to marry in the United States within 90 days in a state that allows same-sex unions.
“But I’m not for just accepting affidavits,” she said.
President Barack Obama seemed to signal in a news conference last week that he would sign an immigration bill that omitted the provision for gay partners.
“I can tell you I think that the provision is the right thing to do,” Obama said. “I can also tell you that I’m not going to get everything I want in this bill.”
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