2013 wasn't all that bad; 2014 may be even better

In my view, 2013 had more gains than loses. One wouldn't think that was the case in the United States, where irrational Republicans in the House of Representatives forced a shutdown of the federal government and refused to act on anything President Obama proposed. But there was progress in the other two branches of government, and in the states, bypassing the obstructionists.

The Unites States Supreme Court declared the Defense of Marriage Act invalid.  The number of states recognizing lesbian and gay marriage doubled to 18, with the addition of California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico and (surprise!) conservative Utah. Today nearly 39 percent Americans live in states where marriage equality is the law.

United States Supreme Court building

Thanks to the Obama Administration, numerous benefits that were denied to LBGT couples were extended in 2013 to LGBT married couples. President Obama took these actions by administrative rules, circumventing the hostile Republican Congress.

Federally sponsored college loans are now easier to obtain. Employees of federal, state and local governments must now provide Family and Medical Leave Act benefits for LGBT married couples. For LBGT married couples making financial decisions, they now can file income taxes and joint bankruptcy petitions on the same basis as heterosexual couples. LGBT married couples will now qualify for benefits under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the federally funded program that provides limited cash assistance to families with low incomes. The ability of LGBT non-citizens to acquire immigration rights has been expanded. (For a full list, consult the Human Rights Campaign's marriage equality benefits site.)

Marriage equality comes to Utah (Associated Press)

On the other hand, private employees need not honor most marriage benefits accorded to LGBT couples. Some benefits granted to married LGBT couples do not extend to individuals. Finally, 32 states have no laws of their own granting full marriage equality to LBGT couples. The states' failure leaves nearly 62 percent of LGBT Americans unprotected. Marriage laws are governed by the states, not the federal government.

One other setback is largely beyond our control: the Russian anti-gay laws that threaten to tarnish this year's Sochi Olympics. I don't favor boycotting Sochi; I want to see our LGBT athletes (throughout the world) beat Russian athletes. 

Turning to other issues, there have been many successes in 2013.

The Obama Administration has begun extending health-care benefits to more than 30 million Americans and is providing subsidies to make insurance more affordable to those who don't have coverage in the private market. In addition, all insurers--whether they provide coverage through employers or through the individual market--must provide a number of vital benefits.

Individuals can no longer bar applicants based on pre-existing medical conditions such as HIV infection or AIDS. (About 30 percent of people with AIDS do not have any health-care coverage, according to the White House.) Insurance companies can no longer impose lifetime limits on care (further benefiting people with HIV). 

Preventive care, such as checkups, mammograms and vaccines, is available at no out-of-pocket charge to the patient. Women can no longer be charged higher than men for insurance (nor denied coverage that defined birth as a pre-existing condition). Dental and vision coverage extends to chldren. Emergency room visits must be covered. All health plans must cover prescription drugs. Insurance companies must provide patients with rehabilitative services. Mental health services must be covered. Low-income individuals are entitled to subsidies to enable them to cover insurance premiums.

Signed into law: the Affordable Care Act

My best friend (and former partner) saved $300 per month through Obamacare by locating a plan that is equal to or better than the one he had. He owns and operates a one-person business that is suffering because of the economy. This savings will enable him to pay down his line of credit or improve inventory. His partner, who recently developed Parkinson's disease, will not be denied coverage because of his pre-existing condition. Moreover, he will save money by using Obamacare to locate an insurance plan that is better than the one he had.


Many of my other friends have benefited from Obamacare. A good friend who just turned 30 will now be able to get health insurance for the first time in her life (she cannot afford private health insurance and has been tested for a medical condition, which under the old regime was a red flag for denial.)

President Obama

A major setback for Obamacare is that many Republican governors have refused to extend Medicaid coverage to low-paid working families in their states. They want nothing to do with President Obama's signature legislative achievement. Obamacare would given states 90 percent of the funding states need to extend Medicaid, but the governors are doing all they can to reject the President even if it means harming millions of their own constituents. Many of these governors are up for re-election in November 2014; we need to develop strong grassroots activism to drive them from office.

Granted, the rollout of Obamacare's online enrollment on October 1 was a disaster, but the administration has worked quickly to resolve the computer problems. My best friend and his partner, for instance, completed their Healthcare.gov enrollment online in an hour or so. (The old system was not nearly as helpful in enabling customers to compare plans among insurers.)

All in all, Obamacare is a winner, and over the years it will join Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in the pantheon of human rights accorded to all Americans.

On other domestic matters, the United States economy is sluggish but growing. Unemployment has fallen to level recorded in early 2009, a few months after the collapse of the Wall Street in 2008 and the onset of the Great Recession.

The next big moral struggle is to extend one-year unemployment benefits to the 1.3 million who lost them at the end of 2013, and to increase the federal minimum wage to at least $10.10 per hour.

Over time, the value of the minimum wage has 
been chipped away by inflation. Increasing the 

minimum wage to $10.10 today would restore the 
minimum to the level that existed in 1968.

(Chart: Democratic Congressional 
Campaign Committee) 

Among those who would benefit most from a higher minimum wage are working women and their families. Women comprise a disproportionately larger share of the country's low-income wage earners. The gender imbalance is greatest among tipped workers, such as waitresses, who are guaranteed only $2.13 per hour, an amount that hasn't changed since 1991.

The current minimum wage amounts to $15,080 per year, based on a 40-hour work week. That total is $4,450 below the federal poverty line for a family of three. If that mother were earning $10.10 per hour, she would be earning about $21,000 per year, putting her above the poverty line.

The White House and Senate Democrats intend to introduce legislation in 2014 to increase the minimum wage. According to Think Progress, the $10.10 figure would restore the wage level to what it was in the 1960s. 

A higher minimum wage will be one of the major legislative battles in 2014.

The Supreme Court dealt the nation a major setback by lifting the Justice Department's power to pre-clear voting regulations sought by states with a history of racial segregation. As a result, North Carolina, Texas and a few other Southern states have whittled back voting rights that gave all voters an equal playing field in politics. 

Turning to international affairs, President Obama ended combat involvement in Iraq and adeptly avoided intensive United States combat in Libya, Syria and Iran. Actually the picture in Iran is more hopeful than ever. The deal worked out in a few weeks ago could lead to an Iranian government with no capacity for nuclear weapons. Moreover, the United States is scheduled to leave Afghanistan this year after 12 years of military combat, the longest period in United States history. 

Senator John McCain

Compare President Obama's international achievements to the proposals of John McCain, the chief Republican spokesman on foreign affairs and the 2008 Republican nominee for president. Senator McCain opposed ending military intervention in Iraq; opposes leaving Afghanistan; demands strong military actions in Libya and Syria; and wants (at a minimum) more economic sanctions against Iran. (McCain's sanctions would smash the deal the Obama administration has helped craft with Iran). War, war, war, war. Enough already!

As they say, elections have consequences. If the Republicans won in 2008 and 2012, marriage equality a reality would be stymied; 30 million Americans would be without heath insurance and millions more would be paying high amounts for substandard coverage; the minimum wage would be eliminated or at best left untouched; and we'd be at war in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and maybe Iran. That's why I vote Democratic. That's why I campaign for Democratic candidates. I believe in the American dream of equality, freedom, economic justice, compassion and peace.

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