Same-sex marriage is back in the news. On July 19, the House of Representatives voted 267 to 157 to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Two hundred and twenty (220) Democrats and 47 Republicans voted for the repeal, while 0 Democrats and 157 Republicans voted against repeal. DOMA has been in the books since 1996, when both the House and Senate voted overwhelmingly to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court, in the case known as Obergefell v. Hodges, ruled that the Constitution’s 14th Amendment gave same-sex couples a fundamental right to marry. The decision, which we opposed, essentially nullified DOMA and forced same-sex marriage on every state.
So, why did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi waste the time of the House of Representatives to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act that is no longer binding? It appears to be an election year maneuver to put many conservative congressmen in a no-win position. If they voted to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act, they would be labeled as “bigots.” But if they voted to repeal DOMA, they would alienate many Christian conservatives.
Now Senator Chuck Schumer wants to do the same thing in the Senate. The vote won’t happen unless there are 60 senators willing to bring it to the floor for an up or down vote. This is a waste of time and taxpayer’s money at a time when serious challenges facing our country aren’t being dealt with in Congress.
What You Can Do
We urge you to call your U.S. senators at 202-224-3121 and respectfully ask them not to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.