President Obama signs a memorandum on federal benefits and non-discrimination as Vice President Biden and other officials watch. Gay rights activist Frank Kameny is to the president's right. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Updated 6:23 p.m. ET
President Obama signed a memorandum today extending some federal benefits to same-sex partners of federal workers. The measure does not cover health care and retirement benefits.
“Many of our government’s hard-working and dedicated, patriotic public servants have long been denied basic rights that their colleagues enjoy, for one simple reason: The people they love are of the same sex,” Obama said at an Oval Office signing ceremony.
After what he described as a “long, thorough review,” Obama signed the measure that, among other things, grants employees' same-sex partners access to a government insurance program that pays for long-term conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease. They also would be allowed to take sick leave to care for a sick partner or non-biological child.
"Extending equal benefits to the same-sex partners of Federal employees is the right thing to do, he said, noting that several top employers already offer benefits to same-sex partners.
"Those companies recognize that offering partner benefits helps them compete for and retain the brightest and most talented employees. The federal government is at a disadvantage on that score right now, and change is long overdue," he said.
Still, Obama noted that by law, the government cannot grant gay couples the same range of benefits afforded to heterosexual couples. He said he supports the Domestic Partners Benefits and Obligations Act, which would further extend benefits to gay couples.
He also reiterated his opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act: "It's discriminatory, it interferes with States' rights, and it's time we overturned it," he said.
Earlier in the day during a conference call with reporters, Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry said "This is a first step, not a final step."