Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy on
Wednesday disagreed with critics of including gay and lesbian couples
in comprehensive immigration reform.
Leahy has proposed two amendments to
the so-called “gang of eight” senators' bill on immigration
reform.
Both amendments seek to allow a gay
American to sponsor an immigrant spouse for citizenship, which is
currently not allowed pursuant to the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
Christian evangelist Rev. Samuel
Rodriguez, Jr. of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership
Conference called
the provision a “deal-breaker,” while Florida
Senator Marco Rubio said the inclusion would doom the bill to
failure.
“You know at some point we're going
to have to face it,” Leahy said during an on-camera interview with
POLITICO.com.
“And we'll have to decide when's the best time to face it.”
“You can't go into a state like mine
or, it will be now 11 or 12 states and the District of Columbia,
where same-sex marriage is legal, and say to this couple, 'OK, we can
help you with the immigration matter.' Turn to another couple
equally legally married and say, 'Oh, we have to discriminate against
you. We can't do anything for you,'” Leahy said.
“On this question of same-sex
marriage. In our state, we feel very strongly about this, that
people should not be discriminated against. And I want to find a way
that couples who are married legally, when one is not an American
citizen, they can have the same rights as all other couples married
legally.”