UAFA (3)

U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) will this week reintroduce the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) in Congress, legislation designed to give Americans in a longterm same-sex relationship the ability to sponsor a partner for citizenship. This right is currently denied them per the Defense of Marriage Act.

New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler on Thursday will reintroduce his Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).

[...]

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.

[...]

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.

The legislation has been repackaged a number of times to try and gain traction, yet conservatives concerned about the legislation's impact on the Defense of Marriage Act have continually opposed the move.  In one previous incarnation the legislation was known as the Permanent Partners Act.

It should be noted that UAFA would only allow for recognition of same-sex partners in this very narrow circumstance so that an American-born half of a same-sex couple might sponsor their foreign-born partner.

In fact, as introduced last year, the bill's text makes the distinction that this is not recognition of marriage explicit by designing to insert "permanent partners" after the word "marriage" in the current statute.

Among qualifications for how one defines a permanent partnership, which is termed in the text as an intimate, financially dependent relationship (so those in state sanctioned same-sex marriages and civil unions would certainly qualify), the legislation specifically states that permanent partner status can only be given if a foreign-born partner "is unable to contract with that other individual a marriage cognizable under this Act." This refers to the fact that DOMA prevents federal recognition of same-sex marriages.

However, playing the same-sex marriage card has proved a very capable defense against the legislation in the past and one that seems likely to continue in the Republican-controlled House.

Jerrold Nadler is also a lead sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and would therefore eliminate this problem entirely.

UAFA (2)

We need your help — RIGHT NOW — to pass the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA).
On Thursday afternoon, Congressman Nadler will be reintroducing UAFA in the House of Representatives.
This critically important bill will immediately end the discrimination our families face under current immigration laws and positively impact every family, regardless of where they live.
To pass UAFA, however, your Representative and Senators need to hear from you. The phone number to call is: (202) 225-3121.

Please ask your family and friends to call as well; it will only take a few minutes to say:

“Hi, my name is ___________, I live at (street address and city) and I am your constituent.
"I am calling to ask Represenative/Senator ______ to cosponsor the Uniting American Families Act because it allows gay and lesbian families to stay together. No American should have to choose between the person they love and our country.”

Call three times: ask once for your Representative and then for your two Senators. They need to hear from as many people as possible. The phone number to call is: (202) 225-3121. Ask the switchboard operator to connect you with your Representative and then your two Senators; the operator can tell you who they are if you don’t know.
Then, if you are in the Washington, D.C. area, join Immigration Equality and Congressman Nadler for a special reintroduction event on Thursday at 1pm. Our executive director, Rachel Tiven, will join Congressman Nadler and other House leaders on the House Triangle at 1pm ... with our very special guests, Shirley Tan, Jay Mercado and their twin sons. The Triangle is on the southeast side of the U.S. Capitol, accessible via Independence Avenue.
Now, please take just a few minutes of your time and call your Representatives and Senators
These calls — your calls — could help make all the difference for our families.
Thank you for all that you do!

UAFA

Two key pieces of pro-LGBT legislation — the Uniting American Families Act and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act — are set for introduction in Congress on Thursday, according to an informed source.
An LGBT rights advocate, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said on Thursday Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) would introduce UAFA in the House and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) would introduce ENDA in the Senate.
“It’s actually kind of a big gay week,” the advocate said. “We also have the civil unions bill in Delaware expected on Thursday and then Friday is the DOMA hearing. So it’s actually a pretty active week where our issues are concerned.”
Nadler’s office didn’t respond on short notice to respond to confirm that UAFA would see introduction in the House on Thursday. Last week, Ilan Kayatsky, a Nadler spokesperson, said the lawmaker would introduce the bill “shortly.”
As it was introduced in the 111th Congress, UAFA would enable gay Americans to sponsor their foreign partners for residency in the United States as straight Americans can do for their foreign spouses. Based on U.S. Census data from 2000, current immigration law threatens to tear apart 36,000 bi-national same-sex couples in the United States.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the House introduction of UAFA would be concurrent with the Senate introduction. In the 111th Congress, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) was the sponsor of UAFA.
Erica Chabot, a Leahy spokesperson, said her boss would again introduce the legislation in the 112th Congress, but added she doesn’t have a date for when that would happen.
“Sen. Leahy is committed to reintroducing UAFA, but I don’t have a date certain at this time,” she said.
On the same day Nadler is expected to introduce UAFA in the House, Merkley is expected to introduce ENDA in the Senate.
Julie Edwards, a Merkley spokesperson, said in response to a request to confirm whether the bill would be introduced Thursday that the legislation would be debut “soon” and she could say more later.
The Senate version of ENDA, according to Capitol Hill sources, is set to have Republican support immediately upon introduction from Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Mirk Kirk (R-Ill.),
Kevin Kelley, a Collins spokesperson, said his boss and Kirk would be original co-sponsors along with Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee. But Kelley said he couldn’t confirm the date of introduction at this time.
Christian Berle, deputy executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, said Snowe would also be an original co-sponsor for ENDA. Snowe and Collins were both original co-sponsors in the 111th Congress.
“I just got confirmation from Sen. Snowe’s office that she will be an original co-sponsor of ENDA,” Berle said.
ENDA would bar job discrimination against LGBT people in most situations in the public and private workforce. Job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is legal in 29 states and legal in 38 states on the basis of gender identity.
Last week, gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced the House version of ENDA. As of Monday, the legislation had 117 co-sponsors. Frank has said Republican control of the House will prevent passage of ENDA during the 112th Congress.

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Beijos

Visa Waiver Program

São Paulo - A visita do presidente dos Estados Unidos, Barack Obama, ao Brasil neste fim de semana aumenta as especulações sobre a possibilidade de os governos conversarem sobre o fim da exigência de visto para transitar entre os dois países. No que depender dos esforços da U.S. Travel Association, organização que representa o setor de turismo nos EUA, o assunto vai, no mínimo, entrar na pauta. "O momento é mais que apropriado (para abolir o visto). É uma oportunidade única para ambos os lados, algo muito significativo", diz, Luiz Moura, vice-presidente de Mercados Internacionais da U.S. Travel.
O Ministério das Relações Exteriores não confirma se o tema será abordado por Obama e a presidente Dilma Rousseff quando eles se encontrarem neste sábado (19), em Brasília. Mas, segundo Moura, o presidente norte-americano, no mínimo, está ciente dos desejos da instituição. A representante do turismo norte-americano encaminhou uma carta à Casa Branca solicitando que os líderes de Brasil e Estados Unidos tratassem do assunto.
A maior reivindicação da U.S. Travel é que o Brasil seja incluído no programa Visa Waiver, criado pelo governo dos Estados Unidos para desburocratizar a entrada de estrangeiros no país. Pelas regras do Visa Waiver, viagens de negócios e lazer entre os Estados Unidos e qualquer país beneficiado pelo acordo são dispensadas da apresentação do visto, desde que durem menos de 90 dias. Atualmente 36 nações fazem parte do programa.

O especialista diz que, para fazer parte do Visa Waiver, alguns critérios são exigidos. O primeiro deles é o da rejeição do visto, que acontece quando o governo norte-americano suspeita do pedido feito por algum brasileiro. "Geralmente o visto é rejeitado quando há indícios de que o turista pode se instalar como imigrante ilegal. A embaixada dos Estados Unidos já confirmou que o Brasil entrou no padrão quanto a este critério há muito tempo. Os índices de rejeição de visto baixaram bastante."
O segundo critério é o tempo de permanência dos brasileiros nos Estados Unidos. Os norte-americanos avaliam se o período de estadia do turista é muito superior ao informado ao departamento de imigração na chegada. "O Brasil também tem uma boa imagem quanto a este critério", afirma Moura.
Por último vem a questão mais delicada, a da imigração ilegal. "Ao contrário do que se pensa o Brasil também melhorou muito neste aspecto. Nos anos 1980 e 1990, o sonho de muitos era tentar a vida 'na América'. Muitos brasileiros eram pegos tentando entrar nos Estados Unidos ilegalmente, mas isto diminuiu bastante. Hoje em dia, a situação econômica favorável no Brasil faz deste um assunto encerrado."
Descomplicar
Segundo Mauro Moisés, presidente da Embratur, autarquia do Ministério do Turismo que cuida da promoção do Brasil no exterior, se a burocracia do visto não existisse, o fluxo de turistas entre Brasil e Estados Unidos, que já é grande, seria ainda maior. Ele diz que, em 2009, o Brasil recebeu 1.3 milhão de visitantes da União Europeia, para a qual não há exigência de visto. Já a quantidade de turistas norte-americanos foi menos que a metade, 600 mil, com a obrigação de apresentar visto.

No Brasil, tirar um visto de turismo, por exemplo, exige uma boa dose de paciência e algum dinheiro. Atualmente, o tempo de espera pela entrevista no Consulado dos Estados Unidos em São Paulo é de 111 dias. No Rio de Janeiro, são necessários 110 dias (este tempo costuma variar, de acordo com a época). E a entrevista só é agendada mediante o pagamento de uma taxa de 38 reais, mais o valor referente ao visto que se deseja. No caso documento para turismo, a quantia é de 140 dólares.
"É claro que o número de visitantes não depende só disso, mas o visto, seja para negócios ou lazer, dá trabalho para tirar tanto aqui quanto nos Estados Unidos. E impacta no custo da viagem. Uma multinacional que decide fazer uma convenção no Brasil tem que levar em conta as despesas que terá com os vistos dos funcionários. Se o documento fosse abolido nestes casos, o contato entre os países seria muito maior, e a promoção do Brasil no exterior, ainda melhor", diz Moisés.
Segundo Luiz Moura, da U.S. Travel Association, a extinção do visto beneficiaria os turistas de negócios e lazer em mais de 95% das viagens entre os dois países. "Este assunto tem tudo para estar na pauta da visita de Obama e ser aprovado, se houver vontade política dos dois lados. Se você tem isso, contorna os outros problemas."