Setback

From 365 Gay just now:

Hate Crimes Bill Stalled

Posted: July 19, 2007 - 5:00 pm ET

(Washington) The hate crimes bill stalled yesterday after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) withdrew a defense measure to which the hate crimes bill was attached, reported Southern Voice.

“The Senate obviously devoted all of its attention to the Iraq war,” said Brad Luna, spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, told the Voice. “This had nothing to do with the hate crimes bill.”

Democrats were seven votes short of passing the defense bill, which called for the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq by spring 2008.

A spokesperson for Reid said it could be a “long time” before the Nevada senator brings the defense bill back to the floor for a vote, which could lead to an indefinite hold on the hate crimes bill and dozens of other amendments that senators were seeking to attach to the defense measure, the Voice said.

The House passed an identical version of the hate crimes measure as a freestanding bill earlier this year.

Activists are working with Democratic leadership to determine if there is a more effective way to secure passage of the hate crimes bill.

©365Gay.com 2007

So, if the House can pass it as a free-standing bill, what's the Senate's problem? Why does it have to be part of anything?