Jul 10, 2009  |  By: Staff & Wire Reports  | COMMENTS     

A U.S. House committee held a hearing Wednesday to discuss equal employment benefits for federal civilian employees.

The hearing on the the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (H.R. 2517) was held by the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia and coordinated by Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass).

Several witnesses testified at the hearing, including lesbian Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.), Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry, Ambassador Michael Guest and Lee Badgett of the Williams Institute.

“Building and maintaining a strong workforce begins with treating workers fairly. LGBT federal workers in committed relationships are not offered the same employment benefits as their married coworkers. This is wrong,” said Rep. Baldwin. “It is time for the federal government to follow the lead of many private sector employers who value all their workers and provide employee benefits that cover all families.”