Have you seen Sen. Reed?
Back in October, Freedom to Marry, Courage Campaign, Marriage Equality Rhode Island and Ocean State Action
delivered petition signatures that resulted from a joint campaign to get Democratic Senator Jack Reed to sign on as a co-sponosor for the
Respect For Marriage act. The bill would repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage act and Senator Reed is currently the only member of the Rhode Island Congressional delegation who has yet to co-sponsor the bill. A similar campaign
successfully persuaded Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski to sponsor the bill in September.
Reed's response at the time was he would decide "very quickly" if he would sponsor the bill. That was 103 days ago.
A month later, Rhode Island's Providence Phoenix checked in with him, and still getting silence, named him to their annual Thanksgiving "turkeys list."
Indeed, he's the only member of the Rhode Island delegation — including the relatively moderate Representative James Langevin — who has declined to endorse the repeal.
Reed says he's still thinking about it. Sorry, Jack, that's not good enough. Gobble! Gobble!
Public Radio station WNRI also filed this report in November:
Rhode Islanders pretty much always know where U.S. Sen. Jack Reed stands on issues. But RIPR political analyst Scott MacKay has found a hot-button social issue on which Reed has been mum.
Calling his one of the safest seats in the nation—he won with 70 percent of the vote last time—and noting his a generally liberal voting record including taking unpopular stands by voting against the Iraq invasion, they are left scratching their heads:
So why has Reed been so reluctant to say just where he stands on repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act? Repeal of this 1996 law has been a priority of the gay rights movement, both in Rhode Island and nationally. For about two months, Reed has ducked questions on his stance on this legislation.
Reed spokesman Chip Unruh says, "He continues to carefully study the issue and continues to hear from Rhode Islanders."
Reed declined a request to discuss the pros and cons of the topic. Which is curious because he as the senior member of Rhode Island's Washington delegation, Reed is usually the leader on issues, with the three other Democrats taking their cues from him. Not on DOMA.
Today,
Marriage Equality Rhode Island sent out this press release:
Marriage Equality Rhode Island Campaign Director Ray Sullivan released the following statement today following a report from RINPR saying that Sen. Jack Reed is still unsure about whether to support a legislative effort to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.
“While equality supporters certainly appreciate the ‘careful’ and ‘deliberative’ thought that Sen. Reed has devoted to the federal legislation that would repeal the so- called Defense of Marriage Act, we would respectfully remind him that his inability to make a decision on this important civil rights issue is adversely impacting the lives of his constituents everyday.
It has been exactly 103 days since Sen. Reed said at a press conference that he would make a decision on this important bill ‘very shortly.’ Clearly, Washington politicians and Rhode Island families have very different understandings of what ‘very shortly’ means.
Sen. Reed is well-respected by leaders from both sides of the aisle, and his support now would lend significant momentum to the effort to end DOMA. Every other member of the Rhode Island Congressional delegation - Sen. Whitehouse, Rep. Langevin, and Rep. Cicilline - have signed on as co-sponsors, and we thank them for demonstrating leadership on this critical issue. It’s time Sen. Reed did the same.”
Time isn't always a luxury people have.
Rhode Islanders Deb Tevyaw and Pat Baker were married in Massachusetts in 2005.
Earlier this year, Pat, a correctional officer, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and given just months to live. Pat spent the last months of her life as an outspoken proponent of marriage equality legislation. She actively lobbied members of Rhode Island's Congressional delegation to win their support for the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act.
Senator Reed's website is here. Marriage Equality Rhode Island has a
petition here.
Consider wisely, Senator Reed, but consider soon please.