Recent UAFA Co-Sponsors

A number of new co-sponsors have signed onto the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) in the past month and a half. Since the bill was reintroduced in Congress on April 14, 10 new co-sponsors have added their names in the House and 2 more have come on board in the Senate. This brings cosponsor totals to 112 in the House and 21 in the Senate.

House:
Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7] - 5/5/2011
Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] - 5/5/2011
Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] - 5/5/2011
Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] - 5/5/2011
Rep Sherman, Brad [CA-27] - 5/5/2011
Rep Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] - 5/13/2011
Rep Tierney, John F. [MA-6] - 5/13/2011
Rep Scott, Robert C. "Bobby" [VA-3] - 5/26/2011
Rep Higgins, Brian [NY-27] - 6/14/2011
Rep Markey, Edward J. [MA-7] - 6/14/2011

Senate:
Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] - 5/2/2011
Sen Udall, Mark [CO] - 6/7/2011

While lots of our work and attention has been focused on stopping the deportations of the foreign spouses of Americans and asking the Obama Administration to clarify DOMA's unconstitutionality in regard to "spouse" or "fiancee" visas and green cards, we can still continue to raise awareness and bring more legislators on board with UAFA as well as the Reuniting Families Act (RFA).

To check and see if your representative has signed onto this legislation, visit the Library of Congress Thomas website: UAFA and RFA.

If they have already co-sponsored, call their office to thank them, but let the person who answers the phone know that there is lots more work to do. If they have not sponsored this legislation yet - ask them to please do so.

Anyone in a same-sex binational relationship who is so able, should meet with their Representatives (or aides at their local in-state office) to tell your story. Out4Immigration can coach you beforehand and make sure you bring the right materials to illustrate your story and the current status of same-sex binational couples in the US. Contact us at info@out4immigration.org.

Five New Co-Sponsors for Uniting American Families Act (UAFA)

Good news! Last week the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) picked up 5 new co-sponsors in the House. That brings the total of co-sponsors to 107 in the House and 20 in Senate. The bill was re-introduced less than a month ago by Rep. Jerrold Nadler and Sen. Patrick Leahy.

The new co-sponsors are:

Rep Cummings, Elijah E. [MD-7] - 5/5/2011
Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] - 5/5/2011
Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] - 5/5/2011
Rep McCarthy, Carolyn [NY-4] - 5/5/2011
Rep Sherman, Brad [CA-27] - 5/5/2011

Also last week, Rep. Mike Honda re-introduced the Reuniting Families Act in Congress. This is the bill that advocates to to restore one of the tenets that the US immigration system was built on -- "family reunification". The bill includes same-sex binational couples in its description of what a family is -- and underscores it with language from UAFA. RFA has 80 co-sponsors in the House.

Out4Immigration especially thanks our volunteers like Chris Barnett, who puts out our weekly petitions and some others behind the scenes who track the legislative co-sponsors and tally up the totals for us. While there has been lots in the news about the administrative and judicial headway we are making in tearing down the laws that keep LGBT Americans separated from our partners -- the legislative course underscores that the laws are wrong and need to be changed. Keep up the good work, everyone!!

Rep. Honda Re-Introduces Reuniting Families Act

Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA) reintroduced of the Reuniting Families Act (RFA) today, an LGBT-inclusive family immigration reform bill. The RFA will ensure visas are allocated efficiently and alleviate lengthy wait times that keep legal immigrants and their loved ones separated for years. The bill also eliminates discrimination in immigration law against same-sex binational couples by recognizing us as families, too. Good news!

Please call Rep. Honda's office and thank him for being a strong advocate for same-sex binational couples and comprehensive immigration reform. His number is: (888) 643-4715.