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White House mum on gay donors, Exxon Mobil

Earnest talks floor amendment for UAFA, but no update on ENDA executive order

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The White House

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest had no comment on Friday when asked about gay donors expressing discontent with the Democratic Party or Exxon Mobil’s rejection of non-discrimination protections for LGBT workers.

Under questioning from the Washington Blade, Earnest said he doesn’t “want to react to” threats from gay Democratic donors who say they’ll no longer give funds in the wake of gay couples being excluded from immigration reform and the White House withholding an LGBT workplace discrimination executive order.

Instead, with respect to immigration reform, Earnest reiterated that the bill pending before the Senate doesn’t have everything Obama wants, including a provision for bi-national same-sex couples. The spokesperson suggested that provision may come up as a floor amendment to the immigration bill.

“And the priority that you’ve identified there is one of the things that the President is not getting — at least at this point, doesn’t look like he’ll get in this compromise,” Earnest said. “I do think that there is an amendment process on the Senate floor where this could be considered, so I don’t want to predict the outcome at this point. But what I can tell you is that this is something that — this is a compromise piece of legislation that’s moving forward.”

On the executive order for LGBT workplace non-discrimination protections, Earnest said he had no updates.

“I don’t have any updates for you in terms of any timing or any possible executive order, or whether anything is being drafted or anything else you might ask along those lines,” Earnest said.

Earlier this week, Jonathan Lewis, a progressive Miami, Fla., based philanthropist, told the Blade he would withhold donations to Democrats “until we see our friends’ actions and deeds align with their rhetoric.” In a subsequent article by Reuters, Juan Ahonen-Jover, another Florida-based philanthropist, said he’s not giving until “the Democratic Party starts acting like Democrats and show some spine.”

Earnest still had no comment about the directive when asked about the decision of shareholders at Exxon Mobil on Wednesday to reject a resolution that would have expanded its equal employment opportunity policy to include non-discrimination protections for LGBT workers.

“Look, I don’t have any update for you on the executive order front,” Earnest said.

In a leaked email obtained by the Blade, Democratic National Committee Chair Andrew Tobias said the rejection of the policy at Exxon Mobil may be the “hook” that puts the executive order “across the finish line.”

A transcript of the exchange follows:

Washington Blade: Thanks, Josh. This week, some prominent, gay Democratic Party donors publicly expressed discontent with the White House over not issuing that executive order against LGBT workplace discrimination and with Senate Democrats over the exclusion of gay couples from immigration reform. One donor, Jonathan Lewis, said he’s withholding donations to the Democratic Party “until we see our friends’ actions and deeds align with the rhetoric.” Are these threats from gay Democratic Party donors significant?

Josh Earnest: Well, I haven’t seen the threats, so I don’t want to react to them. But I’ll tell you that what we have said about the immigration compromise that’s moving through the Senate is that it broadly reflects the priorities that the President laid out, but the President is not getting every single thing that he wanted.

And the priority that you’ve identified there is one of the things that the President is not getting — at least at this point, doesn’t look like he’ll get in this compromise. I do think that there is an amendment process on the Senate floor where this could be considered, so I don’t want to predict the outcome at this point. But what I can tell you is that this is something that — this is a compromise piece of legislation that’s moving forward.

In terms of the executive order, I don’t have any updates for you in terms of any timing or any possible executive order, or whether anything is being drafted or anything else you might ask along those lines.

Blade: But I do want to put a fine point on that, because in an attempt to allay some of these concerns, DNC Treasurer, Andrew Tobias, said in an email to donors that was leaked to me that Exxon Mobil’s decision on Wednesday to reject a nondiscrimination policy towards LGBT workers may be a hook to push that executive order across the finish line. Does that company’s rejection of a nondiscrimination protection on Wednesday prompt any reconsideration at the White House about that directive?

Earnest: No, look, I don’t have any update for you on the executive order front.

Watch the video here:

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Congress

House passes reconciliation with gender-affirming care funding ban

‘Big Beautiful Bill’ now heads to the Senate

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U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael. Key)

The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday voted 215-214 for passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” reconciliation package, which includes provisions that would prohibit the use of federal funds to support gender-affirming care.

But for an 11th hour revision of the bill late Wednesday night by conservative lawmakers, Medicaid and CHIP would have been restricted only from covering treatments and interventions administered to patients younger than 18.

The legislation would also drop requirements that some health insurers must cover gender-affirming care as an “essential health benefit” and force states that currently mandate such coverage to find it independently. Plans could still offer coverage for transgender care but without the EHB classification patients will likely pay higher out of pocket costs.

To offset the cost of extending tax cuts from 2017 that disproportionately benefited the wealthiest Americans, the reconciliation bill contains significant cuts to spending for federal programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The Human Rights Campaign criticized House Republicans in a press release and statement by the group’s president, Kelley Robinson:

“People in this country want policies and solutions that make life better and expand access to the American Dream. Instead, anti-equality lawmakers voted to give  handouts to billionaires built on the backs of hardworking people — with devastating consequences for the LGBTQ+ community.

“If the cuts to programs like Medicaid and SNAP or resources like Planned Parenthood clinics weren’t devastating enough, House Republicans added a last minute provision that expands its attacks on access to best practice health care to transgender adults.

“This cruel addition shows their priorities have never been about lowering costs or expanding health care access–but in targeting people simply for who they are. These lawmakers have abandoned their constituents, and as they head back to their districts, know this: they will hear from us.”

Senate Republicans are expected to pass the bill with the budget reconciliation process, which would allow them to bypass the filibuster and clear the spending package with a simple majority vote.

Changes are expected as the bill will be reviewed and amended by committees, particularly the Finance Committee, and then brought to the floor for debate — though modifications are expected to focus on Medicaid reductions and debate over state and local tax deductions.

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Congress

Gerry Connolly dies at 75 after battle with esophageal cancer

Va. congressman fought for LGBTQ rights

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U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) speaks at a Barack Obama rally on Oct. 19, 2012. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

Democratic U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia died on Wednesday, according to a statement from his family.

The 75-year-old lawmaker, who served in Congress since 2009, announced last month that he will not seek reelection and would step down from his role as the top Democrat on the powerful U.S. House Oversight Committee because his esophageal cancer had returned.

“We were fortunate to share Gerry with Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years because that was his joy, his purpose, and his passion,” his family said in their statement. “His absence will leave a hole in our hearts, but we are proud that his life’s work will endure for future generations.”

“He looked out for the disadvantaged and voiceless. He always stood up for what is right and just,” they said.

Connolly was memorialized in statements from colleagues and friends including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), former President Joe Biden, and U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).

Several highlighted Connolly’s fierce advocacy on behalf of federal workers, who are well represented in his northern Virginia congressional district.

The congressman also supported LGBTQ rights throughout his life and career.

When running for the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors in 1994, he fought the removal of Washington Blade newspapers from libraries. When running in 2008 for the U.S. house seat vacated by Tom Davis, a Republican, Connolly campaigned against the amendment to Virginia’s constitution banning same-sex marriage and civil unions in the state.

In Congress, he supported the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on marriage equality, the Biden-Harris administration’s rescission of the anti-trans military ban, and the designation within the State Department of a special LGBTQ rights envoy. The congressman also was an original cosponsor of the Equality Act and co-sponsored legislation to repeal parts of the Defense of Marriage Act.


 

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Congress

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s bill to criminalize gender affirming care advances

Judiciary Committee markup slated for Wednesday morning

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U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.)’s “Protect Children’s Innocence Act,” which would criminalize guideline-directed gender affirming health care for minors, will advance to markup in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday morning.

Doctors and providers who administer medical treatments for gender dysphoria to patients younger than 18, including hormones and puberty blockers, would be subject to Class 3 felony charges punishable by up to 10 years in prison if the legislation is enacted.

LGBTQ advocates warn conservative lawmakers want to go after families who travel out of state to obtain medical care for their transgender kids that is banned or restricted in the places where they reside, using legislation like Greene’s to expand federal jurisdiction over these decisions. They also point to the medically inaccurate way in which the bill characterizes evidence-based interventions delineated in standards of care for trans and gender diverse youth as “mutilation” or “chemical castration.”

Days into his second term, President Donald Trump signed “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” an executive order declaring that the U.S. would not “fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called ‘transition’ of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit” medical treatments and interventions intended for this purpose.

Greene, who has introduced the bill in years past, noted the president’s endorsement of her bill during his address to the joint session of Congress in March when he said “I want Congress to pass a bill permanently banning and criminalizing sex changes on children and forever ending the lie that any child is trapped in the wrong body.”

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