Obama extends benefits to same-sex couples

Posted to Politics Watch by Will Guldin at 9:12 a.m., June 18, 2009

Yesterday, President Obama expanded benefits already offered to the spouses of federal employees to include same-sex partners. The Presidential Memorandum extends benefits without requiring any existing laws to be changed. Obama said he wished he could do more, but he said existing federal law does not allow for any further changes.

"Unfortunately, my Administration is not authorized by existing Federal law to provide same-sex couples with the full range of benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples," Obama said in a White House news release. "That's why I stand by my long-standing commitment to work with Congress to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. It's discriminatory, it interferes with States' rights, and it's time we overturned it."

The memo allows federal employees to take sick days to care for partners and it allows for partners to be counted as household members when housing arrangements are determined for state department employees stationed overseas.

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese said this memo was an important first step in a statement released before the memo was signed.

"Today’s presidential signature is the first brick in paving what is a long path toward equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans."