The New York Times on Saturday reports that President Barack Obama’s healthcare plan includes tax relief for gay couples:
Supporters of gay rights have long been trying to change the tax treatment of health benefits provided by employers to the domestic partners of their employees. In effect, such benefits are now treated as taxable income for the employee, and the employer may owe payroll taxes on their fair-market value.
Under the bill, such benefits would be tax-free, just like health benefits provided to the family of an employee married to a person of the opposite sex.
Also Saturday, the conservative gay Republican group, GOProud, issued a news release saying not to trust Obama’s plan:
“GOProud urges members of the House to vote no on H.R. 3962. Under current law, the federal government is prohibited from extending domestic partner benefits to same-sex couples,” said Jimmy LaSalvia, Executive Director of GOProud. “Thanks to the Defense of Marriage Act, signed by a Democratic President, Bill Clinton, any effort to expand government-run healthcare will expand government-sanctioned discrimination against gay and lesbian families.”
This is the complete GOProud news release:
GOProud Urges a Vote Against Discrimination Against Gays – Oppose the Democratic Healthcare Bill
Jimmy LaSalvia, Executive Director – “Instead of pushing for an expansion of government sanctioned discrimination, Congress should adopt free-market healthcare reforms that will expand access to domestic partner benefits and empower individuals to take control of their own healthcare.”
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, GOProud, the only national organization representing gay conservatives and their allies, urged Congress to defeat H.R. 3962, the Democratic healthcare reform bill in the House. “GOProud urges members of the House to vote no on H.R. 3962. Under current law, the federal government is prohibited from extending domestic partner benefits to same-sex couples,” said Jimmy LaSalvia, Executive Director of GOProud. “Thanks to the Defense of Marriage Act, signed by a Democratic President, Bill Clinton, any effort to expand government-run healthcare will expand government-sanctioned discrimination against gay and lesbian families.”
“Instead of pushing for an expansion of government sanctioned discrimination, Congress should adopt free-market healthcare reforms that will expand access to domestic partner benefits and empower individuals to take control of their healthcare,” continued LaSalvia.
GOProud has endorsed healthcare reform legislation that will actually improve healthcare for gay families – the bicameral Patients Choice Act. The Patients Choice Act was introduced in the Senate by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) and Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), and in the House by Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Representative Devin Nunes (R-CA).
“The bicameral Patients Choice Act would make quality, affordable healthcare available to all Americans without creating government run healthcare,” said LaSalvia. “Instead of expanding the federal government’s role in healthcare, the Patients Choice Act relies on free market principles.”
The Patients Choice Act would shift our healthcare system from an employer-based system to one where health insurance is owned and controlled by individuals. “Instead of waiting for your employer or the federal government to decide to offer domestic partner benefits, gays and lesbians will be able to use their advanceable and refundable tax credit to purchase healthcare coverage that provides for domestic partners,” continued LaSalvia.
The Patients Choice Act also expands access to domestic partner benefits by creating regional pooling for states. Within these regional pools, individuals would be able to buy healthcare insurance across state lines – allowing those in states that do not offer domestic partner benefits to buy insurance in states that do offer those benefits.
“The last place gay and lesbian Americans should look for equitable treatment is federal government. Whether its relationship recognition, military service, tax fairness, or any of dozens of other issues, the federal government discriminates against gay and lesbian Americans – and it’s no different when it comes to healthcare. Make no mistake about it, a vote for HR 3962 is a vote to expand discrimination against gay families,” concluded LaSalvia.
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GOProud represents gay conservatives and their allies. GOProud is committed to a traditional conservative agenda that emphasizes limited government, individual liberty, free markets and a confident foreign policy. GOProud promotes our traditional conservative agenda by influencing politics and policy at the federal level. PO Box 15861, Washington, DC 20003. For more information visit our website www.goproud.org
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