New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler on
Thursday will reintroduce his Uniting
American Families Act (UAFA).
The UAFA would allow gay Americans to
sponsor an immigrant partner for citizenship. Currently, the Defense
of Marriage Act (DOMA), the Clinton-era law that bans federal
recognition of the marriages of gay and lesbian couples, blocks such
a sponsorship.
Democrats have continued to repackage
the UAFA – at times tucking it inside other immigration reform
proposals – but the legislation has yet to gain sufficient
momentum.
Two out of the four openly gay House
members – Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Jared Polis of Colorado –
are expected at Thursday's event, which is scheduled to take place at
the House Triangle at 1PM.
Opponents of the proposal say it would
create a back door to gay marriage.
“It tries to redefine traditional
marriage,” Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz told Fox News last
year. “I can't support that.”
The United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops railed against including gay families in immigration
reform when California Representative Mike Honda attached the UAFA as
part of his comprehensive immigration reform package.
“[Including the gay provisions in the
immigration bill] would erode the institution of marriage and family
by according marriage like benefits to same-sex relationships, a
position that is contrary to the very nature of marriage, which
pre-dates the church and the state,” the bishops wrote in a letter
to Honda.
Nadler
is also the primary sponsor of a bill that would repeal DOMA.