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Twice this year, the House has passed bills to curb judicial activism by limiting federal court jurisdiction.The passage of the Pledge Protection Act of 2004 (H.R. 2028) by the U.S. House of Representatives on September 21 by a vote of 247-173 has highlighted some very encouraging signs in Congress. And I do not simply mean that the Pledge of Allegiance would be protected, though that is a good thing as well.H.R. 2028 states: "No court created by Act of Congress shall have jurisdiction, and the Supreme Court shall have no appellate jurisdiction, to hear or decide" cases pertaining to the...

Note: This commentary was delivered by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley. A new front in the fight to protect traditional marriage recently opened on Capitol Hill. That front is H.R. 3313, introduced by Representative John Hostettler (R) of Indiana. Hostettler’s proposal, if enacted, would be an important step in protecting marriage and in reining in a judiciary which is fast overruling the will of the people. It’s a measure that deserves our strong support. Hostettler’s bill would prevent the federal appeals courts and the Supreme Court from hearing cases regarding the Defense of Marriage Act, commonly called DOMA. DOMA provides...

Jul 22, 5:05 PM (ET) By Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to curb same-sex marriage on Thursday after rejecting concerns the measure may be unconstitutional. On a vote of 233-194, the House sent the proposal to the Senate where members of both parties said it will likely die. But it could help rev up an election-year issue. Last week, on a related front, the Senate easily blocked a bid pushed by President Bush to amend the Constitution to define marriage as a union strictly between a man and a woman. The...

House OKs Gay Marriage Jurisdiction Bill 9 minutes ago Add Top Stories - AP to My Yahoo! By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Stung by a Senate setback on gay marriage, Republicans passed legislation in the House Thursday to prevent federal courts from ordering states to recognize same-sex unions sanctioned elsewhere. Democrats called the bill an unconstitutional attack on gays and the federal judiciary, and said its passage was just a matter of election-year politics. A day before Congress closes down for six weeks, the 233-194, mainly party-line vote handed at least a symbolic victory to social conservatives...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal judges should keep their hands off marriage, House Republicans said Thursday, pressing for passage of legislation to give states final say over recognizing same-sex unions sanctioned elsewhere. Federal judges, unelected and given lifetime appointments, "must not be allowed to rewrite marriage policy for the states," Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., said at the start of a debate tinged by election-year politics. Republican leaders predicted easy passage for the Marriage Protection Act, a week after the Senate dealt gay marriage opponents a setback by failing to advance a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex unions. The legislation would strip...

House Votes to Support Traditional Marriage By David Thibault CNSNews.com Managing Editor July 22, 2004 (CNSNews.com) - U.S. House members Thursday voted to strengthen a law that defines marriage as an act between one man and one woman. By a vote of 233 to 194, the House action is also seen as a defeat for homosexual activists seeking to export the legal rights of marriage from one state to another. Massachusetts has legalized homosexual marriage and San Francisco city officials earlier this year allowed thousands of homosexual marriages to take place, but most states and local jurisdictions still legally...

WASHINGTON (BP)--The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote Thursday on a bill that would prevent federal courts, including the Supreme Court, from reviewing the federal Defense of Marriage Act -- the law that gives states the option of not recognizing same-sex "marriage." Pro-family groups are supporting the legislation -- called the Marriage Protection Act -- as a short-term solution in the battle to defend traditional marriage. But liberal activist groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union say the bill is unconstitutional and likely will challenge it in court if it becomes law. The bill, sometimes referred to...

To: National Desk Contact: Jeff Lungren or Terry Shawn, 202-225-2492, both of the House Committee on the Judiciary WASHINGTON, July 14 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The House Judiciary Committee today approved by a 21-to-13 margin legislation that would ensure States continue to decide state marriage policy. H.R. 3313, introduced by Rep. John Hostettler (R-Ind.) and amended today by the Committee, removes the federal courts' jurisdiction to hear cases involving the provision in the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that allows States to decide whether to legally recognize out-of-state same-sex marriage licenses. Article III, Section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution...