In an attempt to bring federal policies in line with those of numerous local and state governments as well as many private firms, two United States Senators have introduced a bill that would permit unmarried federal employees to apply for benefits such as health insurance and retirement for their domestic partners. The bill will likely come up for discussion next year and will just as likely reinvigorate debate on the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which bans federal recognition of same-sex marriage.
See "Senators Seek Domestic-Partner Benefits for Federal Workers", Stephen Barr, The Washington Post, September 28, 2006