The hearing will be split into two panels. TowleRoad has the details
Panel 1* Susan Murray, who lives in Ferrisburgh, Vt., with her spouse, Karen Murray. An attorney with the Burlington office of Langrock, Sperry & Wool, Murray was the co-counsel in the lawsuit Baker v. Vermont, which established civil unions in Vermont in 2000.* Andrew Sorbo, a Cheshire, Conn., resident who was married to Colin Atterbury. Before dying of pancreatic cancer in 2009, Atterbury was a retired Veterans Affairs hospital administrator and professor of medicine at Yale University. Sorbo, now retired, worked for 35 years as a history teacher and principal.* Ron Wallen, an Indio, Calif. resident, who married Tom Carrollo in 2008 after being together for 55 years. In March, Carrollo lost his battle to cancer. After Carrollo's death, Wallen's income was compromised because DOMA prohibits him from receiving his spouse's Social Security payment. Wallen would have been able to receive these payments had he been in an opposite-sex marriage. According to the hearing notice, Wallen is unable to make payments on his family home and is faced with selling the residence, after just losing his spouse.
Thomas Minnery, Senior Vice President for Public Policy, Focus on the Family, Colorado Springs, CO.
Panel 2Joe Solmonese, President, The Human Rights Campaign, Washington, DC.David Austin R. Nimocks, Senior Legal Counsel, Alliance Defense Fund, Washington, DC.Edward Whelan, President, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington, DC
Although I don't usually agree with Dan Choi on many things, I do agree that the lack of diversity at this hearing is shameful. 7 White guys and 1 white woman? Come on, now!Evan Wolfson, Founder and Executive Director, Freedom to Marry, New York, NY
UPDATE 07/19/2011 04:57PM PST:
According to Karen Ocamb the updated witness list now includes some color (Congressman John Lewis of Georgia):
UPDATED Witness List
Hearing before the
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
On
“S.598, The Respect for Marriage Act: Assessing the Impact of DOMA on American Families”
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Hart Senate Office Building, Room 216
9:45 a.m.
Panel I
The Honorable John Lewis
United States Congressman
State of Georgia
The Honorable Jerrold Nadler
United States Congressman
State of New York
Panel II
Ron Wallen
Indio, CA
Thomas Minnery
Senior Vice President for Public Policy
Focus on the Family
Colorado Springs, CO
Andrew Sorbo
Cheshire, CT
Susan M. Murray
Ferrisburgh, VT
Panel III
Joe Solmonese
President
The Human Rights Campaign
Washington, DC
David Austin R. Nimocks
Senior Legal Counsel
Alliance Defense Fund
Washington, DC
Edward Whelan
President
Ethics and Public Policy Center
Washington, DC
Evan Wolfson
Founder and Executive Director
Freedom to Marry
New York, NY