Today, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate that would extend employment benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees. Senator Collins explained the reason for introducing the bill as follows: “The federal government must compete with the private sector when it comes to attracting the most qualified, skilled, and dedicated employees. Today, health, medical, and other benefits are a major component of any competitive employment package.” If passed, this bill would bring the federal government more in line with the law in Maine, which requires employers to offer certain domestic partnership benefits to qualifying domestic partners.
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