U.S. Senate Votes For "Hate Crimes" Amendment

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U.S. Senate Votes For "Hate Crimes" Amendment

Special Report - September 28, 2007
On Thursday, September 27, the United States Senate passed an amendment to a Defense spending bill that would add “actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity” to the classifications receiving special protection under federal “hate crime” laws. The amendment to H.R. 1585—National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, was sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), and passed on a voice vote after a cloture motion to shut off debate passed by a 60-39 margin. North Carolina Senators Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr both voted against the cloture motion.

The U.S. House approved a similar stand-alone measure, H.R. 1592—Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007, in May by a 237-180 vote. President Bush will have an opportunity to veto the proposal.

“This legislation is simply another attempt to legally legitimize homosexuality and other alternative sexual behaviors,” said Bill Brooks, president of the North Carolina Family Policy Council. “In no way do we condone criminal acts against anyone for any purpose, but if our criminal laws are insufficient to punish criminal acts, then Congress and our state legislatures should revisit those laws. They should not, however, trample on the deeply-held convictions of the majority of our citizens who believe these sexual behaviors are unhealthy, immoral and wrong. If we continue down this public policy path, we will soon find that we have lost significant rights to free speech, religious freedom, and the ability to protect our children from being brainwashed and recruited into homosexuality.”