Senate Panel OKs Gay Partners Bill

Senate Panel OKs Gay Partners Bill Dec 18, 2009 WASHINGTON (BP)--A U.S. Senate committee has approved a bill that would extend benefits now reserved for the spouses of federal employees to the same-sex, domestic partners of such workers. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted Dec. 16 to forward the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, S. 1102, to the full Senate. The panel vote was 8-1, with Sen. Robert Bennett, R.-Utah, the lone dissenter. The proposal would bestow on homosexual partners of federal employees benefits normally given to married spouses, such as health insurance, retirement and disability