HRC Blog

Today, the newly-elected members of the U.S. House and Senate will be sworn-in on Capitol Hill at12 noon as the 111th Congress begins.

The Human Rights Campaign PAC endorsed 212 Members that were elected to the U.S. House and 16 Members elected in the U.S. Senate in the 2008 election cycle.

For a full list of 2008 election results, visit: http://www.hrc.org/equality08/returns.htm

The 111th Congress includes freshmen Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), elected from Boulder’s 2nd Congressional district, who joins Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) as the only openly gay and lesbian Members of Congress.  In addition, Rep. Betsy Markey (D-CO) roundly defeated Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO), the ringleader of the campaign to write discrimination into the U.S. Constitution.  

In Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Mark Schauer defeated right-winger Rep. Tim Walberg, who garnered a zero percent on the HRC scorecard.  In the 9th Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Gary Peters, who supports  marriage equality, defeated Rep. Joe Knollenberg.

In the U.S. Senate, Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), who supported the passage of her state’s 2007 civil unions law, has come out in support of passing a fully inclusive workplace protections bill and inclusive hate crimes legislation.  Sen. Shaheen is joined by Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO) and his cousin Tom Udall (D-NM), both who have supported fully inclusive workplace and hate crimes protections previously as Members in the U.S. House.

In 2008, HRC engaged in "Year to Win," the largest electoral campaign in the history of the organization, launching an aggressive $7 million election effort to mobilize and motivate millions of LGBT and allied voters.  HRC raised $767,634 for fair-minded U.S. Senate candidates.  In addition, HRC raised $275,250 for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the 2008 election cycle.  HRC PAC also contributed $112,312 to U.S. Senate candidates.  For U.S. House candidates, HRC PAC contributed $915,500 and raised $100,304.  In addition, HRC raised $116,000 for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the 2008 election cycle.

Here is the list of 2009 freshman U.S. Senators endorsed by HRC:
–Mark Begich (D-Alaska)
–Mark Udall (D-Colorado)
–Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire)
–Tom Udall (D-New Mexico)
–Kay Hagan (D-North Carolina)
–Al Franken (D-Minnesota)

2009 freshman U.S. House Members endorsed by HRC:
Adler, John H (New Jersey Democrat, District 3)
Boccieri, John A (Ohio Democrat, District 16)
Connolly, Gerry (Virginia Democrat, District 11)
Dahlkemper, Kathleen (Pennsylvania Democrat, District 3)
Driehaus, Steven Leo (Ohio Democrat, District 1)
Fudge, Marcia L (Ohio Democrat, District 11)
Grayson, Alan Mark (Florida Democrat, District 8)
Halvorson, Deborah "Debbie" (Illinois Democrat, District 11)
Heinrich, Martin (New Mexico Democrat, District 1)
Kilroy, Mary Jo (Ohio Democrat, District 15)
Kirkpatrick, Ann (Arizona Democrat, District 1)
Kosmas, Suzanne (Florida Democrat, District 24)
Lujan, Ben R (New Mexico Democrat, District 3)
Maffei, Dan (New York Democrat, District 25)
Markey, Betsy (Colorado Democrat, District 4)
Massa, Eric (New York Democrat, District 29)
McMahon, Michael E (New York Democrat, District 13)
Peters, Gary (Michigan Democrat, District 9)
Pingree, Chellie (Maine Democrat, District 1)
Polis, Jared (Colorado Democrat, District 2)
Schauer, Mark (Michigan Democrat, District 7)
Schrader, Kurt (Oregon Democrat, District 5)
Teague, Harry (New Mexico Democrat, District 2)
Titus, Dina (Nevada Democrat, District 3)
Tonko, Paul (New York Democrat, District 21

TAKE ACTION: HRC is encouraging all of its members and supporters to contact their new Members of Congress and the U.S. Senators to support pro-equality legislation in the 111th Congress.  You can call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to speak to your representative or senator based on your zip code.

HRC’s 2009 legislative agenda includes:

• Fully inclusive hate crimes legislation;

• Fully inclusive employment non-discrimination act;

• Family Matters: Protections and Benefits for Lesbian and Gay Couples and their Children (www.hrc.org/familymatters).

• HIV/AIDS:  As health care reform is likely to take center stage early in 2009, HRC will work to insure that the critical needs of people of HIV/AIDS are part of those health proposals, including the The Early Treatment for HIV Act (“ETHA”) and The Responsible Education About Life Act.

• Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell:  HRC will continue to build support for the Military Readiness Enhancement Act (“MREA”), which would repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and replace it with a policy of nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation.

• Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA):  would address the pervasive problem of bullying of LGBT students by amending the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act (Title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education/No Child Left Behind Act).