{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://titus.house.gov//press-releases/on-one-year-anniversary-of-doma-repeal-shaheen-titus-call-for-equal-benefits-for-lgbt", "On One Year Anniversary of DOMA Repeal, Shaheen, Titus Call for Equal Benefits for LGBT Military Families", "2014-06-26", "2014", "2014-06", "Democrat", "House", "NV", "Dina Titus", "T000468", "titus.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "June 26, 2014\nWashington, DC \u2013 On the one-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court\u2019s decision striking down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and U.S. Representative Dina Titus (NV-1) are calling on congress to pass legislation to extend benefits to all same-sex military families. The call follows an announcement last week by the Department of Justice that some federal agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, are prohibited from offering benefits to same sex-couples because of discriminatory language that remains in the U.S. code. Shaheen\u2019s Charlie Morgan Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act and Titus\u2019s Veteran Spouses Equal Treatment Act would allow the Department to comply with the intent of the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling and allow same sex military spouses and their families to receive care.\u00a0\n\u201cThe repeal of DOMA by the Supreme Court was an important step towards ending discrimination against LGBT spouses and families by the federal government but one year later there is still work to be done,\u201d Shaheen said. \u201cEveryone that serves in the military ought to receive the benefits they\u2019ve earned. Right now, we have veterans returning home to find out their families are not eligible for benefits because of where they live. It\u2019s wrong and it needs to be addressed.\u201d\n\u201cOne year after the Supreme Court decision striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), gay and lesbian veterans continue to face discrimination by the government they fought to defend. Every military family deserves our respect and admiration for the sacrifices they make on behalf of this great nation, regardless of whom they love or where they live,\u201d Titus said. \u201cThat\u2019s why now, more than ever, Congress must act to pass the Charlie Morgan Act and the Veteran Spouses Equal Treatment Act to ensure all veterans have access to the federal benefits they have earned and deserve.\u201d\u00a0\nAccording to the Justice Department, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is unable to grant comprehensive benefits to same-sex couples living in states that do not recognize such marriages even if they are legally married in another state. This has created a situation in which veterans who have volunteered to serve in our Armed Forces are discriminated against and can be denied benefits based simply on where they live. The legislation offered by Shaheen and Titus would require the VA to recognize any marriage that has been recognized by a state.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://titus.house.gov//press-releases/on-one-year-anniversary-of-doma-repeal-shaheen-titus-call-for-equal-benefits-for-lgbt"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8725021034479141, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}