Posted on 02/10/2015 3:25:06 PM PST by SoConPubbie
WASHINGTON, DC -- Today U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, along with 11 fellow Senators, re-introduced the State Marriage Defense Act, which respects the definition of marriage held by the people of each state and protects states from the federal government's efforts to force any other definition upon them.
“Even though the Supreme Court made clear in United States v. Windsor that the federal government should defer to state ‘choices about who may be married,’ the Obama Administration has disregarded state marriage laws enacted by democratically-elected legislatures to uphold traditional marriage,” said Sen. Cruz. “I support traditional marriage and we should reject attempts by the Obama Administration to force same-sex marriage on all 50 states. The State Marriage Defense Act helps safeguard the ability of states to preserve traditional marriage for their citizens.”
In Windsor, the Supreme Court improperly struck down a federal statute, Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), that defined marriage for purposes of federal law as the union of one man and one woman. At the same time, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the states’ longstanding authority to define marriage.
Unfortunately, the Obama Administration has overruled that state authority, as various federal agencies are recognizing same-sex marriages in states that only recognize traditional marriage, creating what the Windsor decision condemned: “two contradictory marriage regimes in the same state.”
The State Marriage Defense Act remedies this problem by requiring that the federal government defer to the law of the state where a couple resides to determine whether the couple is married for purposes of federal law.
Sen. Cruz is joined by Senators John Boozman, R-AR, Mike Crapo, R-ID, Steve Daines, R-MT, James Inhofe, R-OK, James Lankford, R-OK, Mike Lee, R-UT, Pat Roberts, R-KS, Tim Scott, R-SC, Jeff Sessions, R-AL, Richard Shelby, R-AL, and David Vitter, R-LA. Congressman Randy Weber, R-TX, today is introducing companion legislation in the House.
Sens. Cruz and Lee introduced the State Marriage Defense Act last year, but the Democratic-controlled Senate refused to bring it to the floor.
Later this year, Sen. Cruz will be introducing a constitutional amendment to further protect marriage and to prevent judicial activism. The amendment will make explicit that marriage is a policy question for the democratically-elected legislatures in each of the 50 states.
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Where were Mississippi’s Senators?
IS this not the same thing The Supreme Court of Alabama is doing?
It’s actually a bigger issue than just marriage laws.
It’s protecting a state’s rights to have their own laws. Differing from other states. It’s a 9th and 10th Amendment issue.
Churches in states defined marriage before fedgov existed. States have the right to define what a marriage is in legal terms, because that impacts potential legal issues that will come before courts such as inheritance, property issues, liability issues, 5th amendment issues (spouses not compelled to testify against the other), children, etc. Religion in this ocuntry has always had the right to determine what they recognize as marriage. Before government was established they’ve had this function and they did not derive it from government.
Totally agree. The SCOTUS is not the last word. Nowhere does the Constitution defend gay marriage. States need to null and void unconstitutional rulings.
the GOP should listen to Sen Cruz. He knows how to explain social Conservatism using the Constitution.
Also its ironic the Feds are respecting state laws which legalize marijuana while not doing so on homosexual “marriage”
The Supreme Court overruled State Sodomy Laws.
Now that Gay Marriage is going Nationwide, State Laws against Adult Incest and Polygamy cannot stand. Consenting Adults and all that Jazz.
The Dam has burst and everyone must Drown.
Ted Cruz is taking a stand and fighting.
Walker is taking a pass.
Now THESE are the kind of actions a social/moral conservative like myself want to see to move me towards a candidate. Cruz has definitely shown me he is serious on issues that concern me. I do not think that he a pandering by doing this either. God Bless you Senator Ted Cruz of the great (and sovereign) state of Texas.
My - hope to be someday - friend 2ndDivisionVet. THIS is the kind of stuff that moves me into the Cruz camp, and I believe we others. In a spirit of desire amity towards you I say this without any intent of sarcasm or rancor. Ted Cruz has just proved to me that he is fully worthy of this man’s support.
Truly NO insult or digs intended...it wasn’t your repeated Ant-Huckabee postings. Cruz is moving me by his concrete action instead of mere rhetoric.
Mike Huckabee is saying the right things http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/alabama-court-gay-marriage-mike-huckabee/2015/02/10/id/623916/ but his has yet to do something concrete. For instance, he should be publically pushing the Governor of Alabama (his friend) to back Judge Moore by his executive powers as Alabama’s governor...something he appears to be capitulating on. Mike you need to show some more forcefulness on this issue and lean on your friend. Ted Cruz just took the lead from you over this...IMO.
We don’t need a bill from DC telling us it’s okay to defend our laws. We need our state pols to just defend them!
More where Ted Cruz is doing, on this issue, while others are just talking or being silent.
“the GOP should listen to Sen Cruz. He knows how to explain social Conservatism using the Constitution.”
Senator Cruz has impressive legal credentials. IF he wasn’t needed as POTUS, he would be a great addition to the SCOUTS.
The only way to prevent that from happening, either now or in the future, is to pass an amendment.
Amen.
SCOTUS needs to back off of state’s rights issues.
God bless and keep my Sen Ted Cruz for fighting the fight!
“States need to null and void unconstitutional rulings.”
Yeah, the last time they seriously tried nullification, it ended up having to be resolved with armed conflict, and the states lost. So, good luck finding any state that will try it again.
So, I don't support Senator Cruz's approach to a constitutional amendment at all.
Later this year, Sen. Cruz will be introducing a constitutional amendment ... The amendment will make explicit that marriage is a policy question for the democratically-elected legislatures in each of the 50 states.
The definitions of the meaning of words, and the laws of nature and nature's God, are not legitimately open to "democratic" majorities.
The idea that democratic majorities can overrule the natural law is in fact anti-republican.
According to real smart folks like Cicero, and Aquinas, and Blackstone, and Hamilton, laws that violate the natural law are NULL and VOID.
That wise notion was and is the basis for the American republic.
We must protect state marriage laws in states that have normal marriage only. We must tear down state marriage laws that allow faggot “marriage”.
There ya go.
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