By Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 7, 2007; A13
House and Senate negotiators yesterday nixed a measure to expand hate-crime protections, removing it from a Pentagon policy bill that is now likely to pass both chambers by wide margins.
Negotiations on the defense authorization bill had bogged down, with House Democratic leaders worried that they did not have enough votes to pass the bill if it included the hate-crime measure. The bill, which has been vigorously supported by gay rights groups, would have extended hate-crime protections to victims based on gender, sexual orientation or disability.
Senate Democrats, after the House formally balked at voting on the provision in a conference meeting, vowed to bring up the measure again next year.
"At a time when our ideals are under attack by terrorists in other lands, it is more important than ever to demonstrate that we practice what we preach, and that we are doing all we can to root out the bigotry and prejudice in our own country that leads to similar violence here at home," Sens. Carl M. Levin (D-Mich.), chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), the sponsor of the hate-crime bill, said in a statement.
The decision to drop the hate-crime measure was seen as a blow to civil rights groups, which this fall celebrated the House passage of an employment non-discrimination bill giving workplace protections to homosexuals.
"After more than 10 years and several successful bipartisan votes, it is heartbreaking to fall short this close to the finish line," said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign.
The House had already approved the hate-crime measure, but the Senate has not been able to move it as a free-standing measure, leading to Kennedy's attaching it to the defense authorization bill in September. The White House and congressional Republicans balked at attaching non-military issues to the defense bill, which sets policy issues and authorizes certain weapons programs.
House Democrats already faced a loss of support from many liberals in their caucus who would not support the Pentagon policy bill because it did not include withdrawal timeline provisions for the Iraq war. Many Democrats from conservative districts were afraid to engage in a showdown with President Bush on the bill over the hate-crime measure.
Now, without the hate-crime measure, the defense authorization will probably be approved easily, with a large number of Republicans in both chambers supporting it. Last night, the House-Senate conference committee agreed on a bill that would authorize $696 billion in defense spending, which includes $189 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and $10.1 billion in ballistic missile defense. The bill is expected to pass next week or before lawmakers head off for holiday break.
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