111th congress

In a 55 to 41 vote today, the Senate rejected an attempt to move forward on consideration of the DREAM Act, which would lay out a path to citizenship for young adults who were brought to the United States illegally as children, and who graduate from high school with the commitment to attend college or join the military.

The Senate today ended the filibuster of a bill that creates a path toward repeal of the discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.

In a welcome move to ensure equality for all, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid during remarks on the Senate floor today made clear his intent to continue working to permitt a vote on repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell in the near future.

Today, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The legislation will extend important protections to victims of violent hate crimes committed based on a person's actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and/or disability. It also strengthens existing hate crimes protections for a variety of other categories, including race, color, religion, national origin and ethnicity.