After a sometimes contentious debate, the U.S. House of Representatives' Oversight and Government Reform Committee passed a bill Nov. 18 that would expand domestic benefits to include same-sex partners, according to the Washington Post.
The 23-12 vote on H.R. 2517, the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2009, broke down along party lines, with Democrats prevailing. Republicans said the expansion would undermine the traditional concept of marriage being between a man and a woman.
In a statement, lesbian U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., said, "Today's actions mark another significant step in our march toward LGBT equaliy. Our movement is gaining momentum around the country and Congress is following the will of the people."
The full House will now consider the measure, the Post reported. President Barack Obama has expressed his support of the bill.
Reps. Mike Quigley, Danny Davis and Bill Foster are the Illinois Democrats on the committee, according to oversight.house.gov. U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock is the lone Illinois Republican.
Before the bill passed, Quigley issued an amendment calling for the committee to consider all factors of a cost-benefit analysis regarding partnership expansion and how it might impact the federal government's ability to recruit and retain employees.
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"Not only are we denying people thousands of dollars in benefits and violating our equal pay for equal work laws, but we're making the government less competitive for top talent than private sector employers, 10,000 of which offer benefits to people no matter who they choose to love," he said.
"The Republican amendment strives to paint the extension of equal benefits in a divisive light, as a burden to those who already receive them," added Quigley. "My amendment seeks to highlight the huge gains such an extension could bring to the federal government."
