State senator comes out during gay marriage debate

State Senator Karen Peterson (photo: state of Delaware)

Delaware State Senator Karen Peterson came out as lesbian during the floor speeches of a debate about legalizing gay marriage, multiple outlets reported.

Sen. Peterson said, "If my happiness somehow demeans or diminishes your marriage, you need to work on your marriage," according to Think Progress.

Via Think Progress:

No one chose to be gay. We are what God made us. We don’t need to be fixed. We aren’t broken. [...] My partner Vicki and I have been together for 24 years. Last year, we entered into a civil union. [...] If my happiness somehow demeans or diminishes your marriage, you need to work on your marriage.

The Delaware Senate voted to approve marriage equality legislation, making Delaware the 11th state the recognizes the marriages of same-sex couples. Governor Jack Markell has said he will sign the bill into law.

Victory Fund broke the news about Sen. Peterson via Twitter:

Reactions were positive as others learned of the news via the social network.

A similar incident occurred earlier this year, when, during a debate on gay marriage, Nevada state Senator Kelvin Atkinson announced that was gay.

Last week, Rhode Island became the 10th state to legalize gay marriage.

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Republican Senator Paul fuels ideas of presidential bid in '16

By Sam Youngman

WASHINGTON - (Reuters) - Republican Senator Rand Paul, a favorite of the conservative Tea Party movement, fueled speculation on Wednesday that he will follow in his father's footsteps and run for president in 2016.

Paul, a freshman senator from Kentucky, told reporters he will visit early voting states this year and indicated he will make a final decision next year.

Paul's father, former Congressman Ron Paul of Texas, was a presidential candidate three times, running once as a Libertarian and twice as a Republican. He won Libertarian and Tea Party movement voters during the last Republican primaries, but failed to win broad support.

The younger Paul, at a media breakfast hosted by The Christian Science Monitor, said he wants a voice in rebuilding the Republican Party after its losses to Democratic President Barack Obama.

"I want to be part of the national debate, so whether I run or not, being considered is something that allows me to have a larger microphone," Paul said.

Paul said he plans to visit Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, the first three states to vote in the Republican nomination battle, this year.

Paul expanded his national profile when he led a 13-hour filibuster on March 7 to highlight the risk of the potential use of drones on American soil. The move sparked the slogan "Stand with Rand."

Earlier in the spring, Paul spoke along with other Republican up-and-comers, including Florida Senator Marco Rubio, at a Washington gathering of conservatives known as the Conservative Political Action Committee (CPAC).

At that conference, a number of young Republicans wore t-shirts proclaiming "Stand with Rand."

Paul also told reporters on Wednesday he will do what he can to help fellow Kentuckian Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, get re-elected next year.

Relations between the two had a rough start as Paul, seen as the insurgent candidate, defeated McConnell's choice, Trey Grayson, in the Republican primary on his way to victory in 2010.

Paul said of McConnell: "I've endorsed him. I've raised money for him. And I will try to see him re-elected. I think he's good for Kentucky."

(Reporting by Sam Youngman; Editing by Marilyn W. Thompson and Vicki Allen)

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Letter sent to senator tested positive for poison ricin

By Patricia Zengerle and Patrick Temple-West

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Officials said they intercepted a letter sent to Republican Senator Roger Wicker on Tuesday that tested positive for the deadly poison ricin, and that the Capitol police, FBI and other agencies had launched an investigation.

The letter was postmarked from Memphis, Tennessee, and had no return address, Terrance Gaines, the Senate sergeant at arms, said in a warning to members of the Senate.

"Senate employees should be vigilant in their mail handling processes for ALL mailings," Gaines said in a written statement.

Members of the Senate were briefed on the ricin incident by Gaines during a meeting with FBI Director Robert Mueller and Janet Napolitano, the secretary of Homeland Security, on Tuesday on the bombings in Boston.

Several senators told reporters after the briefing that incident reminded them of the anthrax attacks in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center.

"I don't know if it's a coincidence. It's too early to tell. We don't know enough about Boston," said Senator Richard Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate.

Several senators said that all mail to the Senate had been stopped and post offices at the Capitol had been closed as a precaution. They said they were getting in touch with their state offices, where mail is not routinely screened, to ensure that precautions were being put in place.

They said they were aware of only one letter that had been intercepted that tested positive for ricin.

It was not immediately clear whether Wicker had attended the briefing by Mueller and Napolitano, which was open to all senators from both parties.

A spokeswoman for the Mississippi senator referred inquiries to Capitol Police. A spokesman for the Capitol Police could not immediately be reached for comment.

Ricin is a lethal poison found naturally in castor beans.

(Additional reporting by Rachelle Younglai and David Lawder; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

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Letter containing ricin sent to Mississippi senator

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

A letter was mailed to Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker's office containing the toxic substance ricin, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid confirmed to reporters on Tuesday.

The letter was intercepted at an off-site location Tuesday morning and was later tested positive for ricin, a highly poisonous chemical that can be fatal to humans if inhaled. While the letter did not reach Wicker's office, the discovery prompted the Senate post office to be shut down. There is no evidence of contamination in the on-site post office.

Senators learned of the discovery at a private security briefing about the Boston Marathon bombings, but there is no indication, senators said, that the poisonous letter was connected to Monday's attacks.

"We don't know enough about Boston to even speculate," said Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin after the briefing.

Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill said the sender was a person who mailed frequent letters to Capitol Hill. Lawmakers' state offices around the country currently being notified about the incident.

All mail to the capitol building is processed and tested in a facility off-site before reaching the destination as a precaution against incidents like this. Several senators interviewed said they were not concerned about a broader attempt to target them.

"It was caught in a way that did no damage, so I'm not excessive concerned about it," said Michigan Democratic Sen. Carl Levin. "They've taken strong steps to avoid any problem."

Wicker's office has decline to comment and directed inquiries to the United States Capitol Police, which did not immediately return a request for comment.

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Senator urges colleagues to stand firm on gun background checks for gun buyers

By John Whitesides and David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Joe Manchin and Republican Pat Toomey defended their plan to expand background checks for gun buyers on Monday, as Manchin opened the Senate's debate on the proposal by urging colleagues to "make a difference" and resist political pressure to reject the measure.

Manchin's call for bipartisanship on one of the nation's most divisive issues came as the background checks plan that he and Toomey devised was headed to a close vote in the Senate later this week.

After an intense, emotional week of lobbying that included family members of victims from the Newtown, Connecticut massacre visiting Capitol Hill to call for action, both sides of the gun-control debate scrambled for votes on a crucial piece of President Barack Obama's gun-control legislation.

Manchin, who is from West Virginia and has long been a strong supporter of gun rights, sought to assure others that the background checks plan would not limit law-abiding citizens' access to guns. He also urged senators to look beyond politics in voting on the plan.

"'No' is the safest vote as a congress person or senator, I understand that. I can vote 'no' on about everything and be fine," Manchin said of the plan, which has drawn opposition from the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights proponents, but is supported by two other gun owners' groups.

"I want to make a difference. I want to do something," Manchin said, saying that members of Congress should not be so worried about "all of the outside pressure, and maybe getting elected, maybe getting campaign funds."

The proposal to expand criminal background checks to include sales made online and at gun shows represents Obama's best hope for meaningful gun-control legislation in the aftermath of the killings of 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14.

The deal between Manchin and Toomey, designed to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill, would be the centerpiece of gun-control legislation that also would tighten laws on gun trafficking and increase funding for school security.

Like Manchin, Toomey has been a staunch defender of Americans' constitutional right to bear arms. The Pennsylvania senator said he did not consider the background checks provision to be gun control, while acknowledging that there was no way to prevent all criminals or mentally unstable people from securing firearms.

"But can't we take a very modest step to make it more difficult if we can do it in a way that does not infringe on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens?" Toomey asked.

THE NUMBERS GAME

The Manchin-Toomey amendment needs 60 votes to overcome procedural hurdles erected by Republican opponents in the Senate, where Democrats control 55 seats.

Some Democrats up for re-election in conservative states next year also are expected to oppose the measure. Democrats Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Mark Begich of Alaska, both facing tough re-election battles, voted with conservative Republicans last week in an unsuccessful effort to block debate on the measure.

That means the Manchin-Toomey plan will probably need the backing of at least a half-dozen Republicans to clear the chamber. The Senate voted 68-31 last week to take up the broader legislation, with 16 Republicans joining 50 Democrats and two independents in supporting a debate on the bill.

But seven of those Republicans have said they will not support the background checks plan. Aside from Toomey, the only Republicans who support the deal so far are Mark Kirk of Illinois and Susan Collins of Maine. John McCain of Arizona said on Sunday he was "favorably disposed" to vote for it.

'TOUGH TO SAY'

"It's tough to say right now if we've got enough votes" to pass the Manchin-Toomey amendment, a Senate Democratic aide said.

More controversial aspects of Obama's gun-control plan - including a ban on rapid-firing "assault" weapons like the one used in Connecticut and limits on the capacity of ammunition magazines - appear to have a slim chance in the Senate.

Even if the background checks bill clears the Senate, it would face tough opposition in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other administration officials have pushed for the bill in a series of public events; Obama brought the Newtown family members to Washington aboard Air Force One after he visited Connecticut.

The Newtown families had several emotional visits with lawmakers. During their meeting with Manchin, the senator was moved to tears.

The NRA gun lobby group opposes the measure and has warned members of Congress it will include their votes on the Manchin-Toomey amendment in the ratings it compiles on each lawmaker and sends to members.

Manchin and Toomey have been contacting their colleagues in a hunt for support. Former U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, who was badly wounded in a 2011 mass shooting in Arizona, will visit Washington this week to push for gun-control legislation.

The International Association of Chiefs of Police endorsed the background checks deal on Monday.

"Background checks work. Keeping firearms out of the hands of prohibited purchasers is a key factor in reducing gun violence in our communities and protecting our officers," said Craig Steckler, president of the police chiefs' group.

The background checks provision picked up an unexpected boost over the weekend with the backing of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, which bills itself as the second-largest gun-rights group behind the NRA with 650,000 members and supporters.

The group cited some of the sweeteners in the deal for gun-rights supporters, including a provision that would make licensed interstate sales easier and ban the creation of a gun registry, one of the frequent fears cited by groups such as the NRA.

Those provisions, along with the possibility that some Republican amendments to strengthen gun rights could clear the Senate, add to the unpredictability of the outcome of the Senate debate.

"It isn't perfect, but it's certainly a long, big, heavy step forward. Expanding background checks to cover gun shows and Internet sales is common sense," Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said.

(Editing by David Lindsey and Cynthia Osterman)

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Senator in tears meeting with Newtown parents

Meeting with Newtown families this afternoon, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., told them, "I'm a parent and a grandfather, and I had to do something." He spoke slowly, pausing between words as he choked back tears. "I had to do something."

Mark Barden, the father of 7-year-old Daniel, handed the senator a tissue and placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Let's all share," the senator said, putting the box of tissues on the coffee table between them to the many takers among the families.

Earlier today the West Virginia Democrat had joined Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania in a bipartisan compromise seeking to expand background checks for the sale of guns - both at gun shows and online.

Speaking to the families, Manchin said, "I can assure you we're protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners, the same as we're trying to prevent lawbreakers and people who aren't mentally capable of having a gun, it does both." He added that he is not worried about how this will affect his NRA "A" rating. "I would ask my friends at the NRA - take our bill, put it online and let NRA members like myself vote on it. Let them vote and see where they would be. "

The families, who have been making the rounds on Capitol Hill this week, appeared responsive to the proposal.

"We would just like to say from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for your courage. It just means so much to us," Mark Barden said.

"We know there is not a panacea, we know that," David Wheeler, father to 6-year-old Ben said. "The courage that you and Senator Toomey have shown is encouraging, and for that we are so very grateful."

The senator was asked how the proposal with Toomey could prevent another school shooting like the one in Newtown. The senator spoke at length about the proposed Commission on Mass Violence, which is part of the agreement, which he hopes would bring experts together to come up with new ways to protect children in schools.

"We're going to hatch something that is going to be because of this horrible tragedy and in the pain, the unimaginable pain, that something is going to happen very good from the standpoint of hopefully preventing it," Manchin said.

Earlier in the day the families continued their second day lobbying legislators on Capitol Hill with a separate meeting with Sen. Pat Toomey, R-PA. They have also met with Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-NH.; Sen. Richard Burr, R-NC.; Sen. Angus King, I-Maine.; Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; Sen. Coburn, R-Okla.; and Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C. Tomorrow the families will meet with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., among others.

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Republican senator sees Obama budget offer as positive

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday became the first prominent Republican to publicly praise, however lukewarm, the budget proposal the White House outlined last week.

Graham said that while he believes President Barack Obama's plan is overall bad for the economy, "there are nuggets of his budget that I think are optimistic." He was speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" program.

Graham, a conservative who has deviated from party positions in the past, and has said he would consider raising up to $600 billion in new tax revenue if Democrats accept significant changes to Medicare, the government health program for elderly Americans, and Medicaid, the health safety net for low-income people.

The White House on Friday said the president would propose a budget that would offer cuts to so-called entitlement programs such as Social Security, a retirement program, and Medicare in exchange for increased tax revenues and a commitment to spend money on education and infrastructure repair.

Obama's proposal, which will formally be made public on Wednesday, is a symbolic document, and both the Senate and House of Representatives have already passed their own budget resolutions.

The president's aides have said he hopes to use the offer to appeal to enough middle-of-the-road lawmakers of both parties to pass a broad deal to reduce the budget deficit.

Obama also hopes to reverse the deep spending cuts that automatically kicked in March 1 as a result of the failure of the White House and Congress to reach an agreement on replacing them.

Graham's reception of the president's budget proposal is warmer than fellow Republicans and some of the president's own allies have accorded it so far.

House Speaker John Boehner said last week the president was ignoring Republicans' staunch opposition to any tax hikes. And independent Senator Bernie Sanders, who votes with the Democrats, said he would oppose any efforts to lower payments to Social Security beneficiaries.

But Graham said that the president's offer contained approaches to cutting spending that he supports. One is the proposal to index cost-of-living increases for government program benefits to a less-generous measure of inflation.

"The president is showing a little bit of leg here, this is somewhat encouraging," Graham said. "He has sort of made a step forward in the entitlement-reform process."

Obama has invited 12 Republican senators for dinner on the day of the budget release as part of an effort to soften resistance among the opposition political party.

"The president's focus, in addition to the regular order process that members of Congress say they want, is to try to find a caucus of common sense, folks who are willing to compromise, that don't think compromise is a dirty word, and try to get something done," White House senior advisor Dan Pfeiffer said on ABC News' "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" program.

(Reporting By Aruna Viswanatha and Philip Barbara, writing by Mark Felsenthal)

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Key senator pushes immigration negotiators

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key Senate committee chairman on Wednesday chided bipartisan negotiators working on an immigration bill, saying their progress is too slow and the delay is setting back action on reform.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., also has criticized President Barack Obama, saying he's urged the president to send his own immigration bill to Congress. Obama has instead chosen to let the bipartisan negotiations proceed, even though deadlines have come and gone.

Leahy said in a statement that because there's no bill yet, the Judiciary Committee won't be able to approve a sweeping immigration bill by the end of April. That had been his goal.

"Without legislative language, there is nothing for the Judiciary Committee to consider this week," he said. "The upcoming recess period would have allowed all members of the committee and the American people to review the legislation. Now that process, and our work, will be delayed at least a month."

The bipartisan Gang of Eight, including Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., initially said they'd release their legislation in March but recently acknowledged it wouldn't happen until April.

Brian Fallon, Schumer's spokesman, said the Gang of Eight was very close to agreement and hopes the Judiciary Committee will take up their bill in April.

The legislation would call for securing the border, improving legal immigration and workplace enforcement, and creating a path to citizenship for the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the country.

The Republicans on the Judiciary Committee who are not part of the Gang of Eight also have begun to complain about the pace of negotiations, although their concern has been that the process was moving too fast, not too slow. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and other Republicans signed a letter this week saying such an important issue shouldn't be dealt with behind closed doors and needed ample time for full committee consideration.

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Republican Senator McCain says Hagel "not qualified" as defense secretary

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican Senator John McCain on Sunday said his former colleague Chuck Hagel was not qualified to be U.S. defense secretary but the Senate would likely vote on his nomination rather than hold it up with procedural hurdles.

Before going on a weeklong recess, Republican lawmakers succeeded in delaying a Senate vote on Hagel's nomination earlier this month. Hagel is expected to win confirmation if a vote is held because Democrats control 55 votes in the 100-seat Senate.

"I do not believe that Chuck Hagel, who is a friend of mine, is qualified to be secretary of defense," McCain of Arizona said on CNN's "State of the Union" show.

"I believe that when the questions are answered, and I believe they will be by this coming week that the president deserves an up or down vote" on Hagel, said McCain, who is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Hagel's nomination was likely to go for a vote in the Senate "barring some additional revelation," he said.

Hagel, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, angered Republicans when as senator he broke from his party by opposing former President George W. Bush's handling of the Iraq war.

Republicans are demanding more information from the administration related to the attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, last year.

The Senate confirmation vote on John Brennan for CIA director also faces delay over the request by Republicans for more information related to Benghazi.

"I don't want to put a hold on anybody, but the American people deserve answers about Benghazi. There are so many questions that are still out there, including what was the president doing the night Benghazi happened?" McCain said.

(Reporting by Tabassum Zakaria; Editing by Eric Walsh)

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