Washington in 5 minutes

SUPREME COURT

Sen. Kyl won’t rule out filibuster

The Senate’s No. 2 Republican on Sunday refused to rule out a filibuster if President Obama seeks a Supreme Court justice who decides cases based on “emotions or feelings or preconceived ideas.”

Sen. Jon Kyl made clear he would use the procedural delay if Mr. Obama follows through on his pledge to nominate someone who takes into account human suffering and employs empathy from the bench. The Arizona Republican acknowledged that his party likely does not have enough votes to sustain a filibuster, but he said nonetheless he would try to delay or derail the nomination if Mr. Obama ventures outside what Mr. Kyl called the mainstream.

“We will distinguish between a liberal judge on one side and one who doesn’t decide cases on the merits but, rather, on the basis of his or her preconceived ideas,” Mr. Kyl said.

STATE DEPARTMENT

Agency liberalizes gay-partner policy

In a policy shift, the State Department will offer equal benefits and protections to same-sex partners of American diplomats, the New York Times reported Sunday.

The newspaper said the shift was spelled out in an internal memorandum that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sent last week to an association of gay and lesbian foreign service officers.

Mrs. Clinton said the policy change addressed an inequity in the treatment of domestic partners and would help the State Department recruit diplomats, because many international employers already offered such benefits, the report said.

“Like all families, our foreign service families come in different configurations; all are part of the common fabric of our post communities abroad,” Mrs. Clinton said in the memorandum, a copy of which was provided to The Times by a member of the gay and lesbian association.

“At bottom,” the paper quotes Mrs. Clinton as saying, “the department will provide these benefits for both opposite-sex and same-sex partners because it is the right thing to do.”

A senior State Department official confirmed the new policy, but did not say when it would take effect, the paper said.

Among the benefits are diplomatic passports, use of medical facilities at overseas posts, medical and other emergency evacuation, transportation between posts, and training in security and languages, according to the report.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

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