In addition, the president ordered HHS and the Federal Trade Commission to consider whether they can take action to prevent federal funding of “conversion therapy” and/or to declare the practice deceptive, and thus “to issue such consumer warnings or notices as may be appropriate”.
The order says the US government will work to end conversion therapy internationally, and promises action to support equality for LGBTQ individuals in both the child welfare and mental health systems.
While this move is a welcome one, I fear that it will amount to too little, too late. And, of course, the Biden administration’s federal guidelines and executive orders can be undone by a future Republican administration.
‘Bernie bros’ get the side eye
As things stand, a supermajority of 60 senators in the 100-seat chamber must be willing to allow a bill to proceed to a vote. This method of preventing a vote on legislation is referred to as a filibuster.
Given that the reach of executive action is so limited, I would much prefer that Senate Democrats abolish the filibuster so they can pursue legislation such as the languishing Equality Act – but the Biden administration seems to have no appetite to give a strong and sustained push to make this happen. I was glad to see the president recently call for an exception to the filibuster to codify the protections afforded by Roe into law, although I would like to see LGBTQ rights treated with the same urgency. I also fear that, even in the unlikely eventuality that Congress does enshrine the right to abortion care in federal law, the Supreme Court will overturn the law unless the Biden administration and Senate Democrats find the wherewithal to add justices to the court in order to restore fairness.
Meanwhile, two conservative Democratic senators, Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin, want no part of abolishing the filibuster or rebalancing the Supreme Court, and I don’t see them making an exception for abortion or the right to privacy.
Progressive Americans and those most harmed by Republican policies would appreciate being able to feel that Manchin and Sinema are being pressured in every way possible, publicly and privately. The Biden administration is not providing us with the sense that they are.
Unfortunately, many American liberals seem to think that any criticism of Democratic Party leadership is somehow aiding and abetting the authoritarian Republicans, and they regard critical progressive Democrats with suspicion.
Even those of us loyal Democratic critics who affirm that our first priority in voting is harm reduction (and so we always vote Democrat) receive the side-eye and are at times accused of being “Bernie bros” worthy only of contempt. (Our critics’ concerns are that young people will not show up to the polls in sufficient numbers, and/or that too many left-wingers voting third party in America’s highly flawed presidential democracy – with its solidly entrenched two-party system and frankly absurd Electoral College – may throw an election to the Republicans.)