The House of Representatives the week passed the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R.3685), which prohibits employment discrimination against an individual on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation. This is landmark legislation that advances the core values that America stands for and it’s long overdue.

I’m also glad to see that David Dreier (CA-26) voted for the legislation, after many years of voting against equal rights for gay and lesbians. I hope this represents a permanent change in Mr. Dreier’s views and not simply an election-year tactic to move toward the center.

Congressman Dreier has had an extensive anti-gay voting record, having voted against the Hate Crimes Prevention Acts of 1997, 2005 and 2007, and having supported legislation that allowed federally funded charities to discriminate against gays and lesbians.  He also voted for the Marriage Protection Act in 2004, which would not only have prohibited gay couples from marrying but also stripped the judicial branch of it’s essential authority to review the law.

I hope that this week’s vote marks a turning point in the long campaign by Congressman Dreier and the Republican Right to deny gay and lesbian citizens their inalienable rights.
For my part, I will continue to fight for full civil rights for all Americans, including those who happen to be gay.  And I will press Mr. Dreier to do the same.

Hoyt Hilsman
Democrat for Congress (CA-26)

HILSMAN FOR CONGRESS – THE VA GETS A NOMINEE… FINALLY!

Instead of quickly finding an effective and suitable nominee when the former Secretary for Veterans Affairs announced his resignation in July, Bush has waited until a month after that resignation has become effective – four months later – to find a replacement, leaving a near powerless “acting” secretary to manage the post-duty health and welfare of our troops and the second largest department in the federal government.

We here at the Hilsman for Congress campaign think some important questions must be raised though, especially after Bush’s thoughtless threat to veto an appropriations increase for that department earlier this year, after squalid conditions were reported in Walter-Reed and record numbers of troops with Post Traumatic Stress return from the bludgeoning conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan  only to be misdiagnosed or completely untreated.

The nominee, retired Army Lt. General James Peake, was the U.S. Army surgeon general from 2000-2004, when he left active duty. Unfortunately that calls into doubt General Peake’s competence, for if he didn’t know about the awful conditions at Walter Reed, how could he possibly be a competent and effective choice? If he did know about it, why did he do nothing to solve the problem for our nations troops? Though he would be the first physician or general to head the VA, America’s troops and citizens are tired of good Public Relations pomp and need a real candidate for this job! Not another lackey or superficially qualified potential failure. Scant details have emerged so far about what kind of Secretary Gen. Peake would be but his apparent negligence in the case of the Walter-Reed scandal is alarming!

Even more disturbing, Gen. Peake has served as the COO and medical director of QTC Management Inc., a company the over burdened VA sub-contracts to manage veterans health care. This in of itself is not a fault necessarily, but after so many of the administrations ethically questionable appointments and dealings, can the VA afford another potentially embattled head who’s past business dealings could be used to further profit himself or his associates? The last thing the VA needs is another scandal.

We hope the Senate holds rigorous hearings and keeps Gen. Peake and the administration accountable during his testimony and his tenure, should he be confirmed. The VA needs competent leadership, now more than ever – funding it adequately and keeping watchful oversight would be one of Hoyt Hilsman’s highest priorities upon taking office as part of the 111th Congress in 2009.