Free Republic

As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama claimed "we need to fully repeal the Defense of Marriage Act," which says states are not required to recognize other states' same-sex marriages. That was then. This week, the Obama administration is facing the ire of gay rights groups after it filed a brief in California federal court defending the Defense of Marriage Act and calling it a "valid exercise of Congress' power" that is saving taxpayers money. The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, was signed into law by President Clinton in 1996. It doesn't prohibit same-sex marriages; instead, it says that no...

WASHINGTON, June 7 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said today that the Senate's failure to approve the Marriage Protection Amendment is "deeply disappointing," and noted the irony of the fact that the 49-48 vote "comes one day after Alabama became the 20th state to adopt a state constitutional amendment protecting marriage." Voters in Alabama approved their amendment at the polls yesterday by an overwhelming 81 percent to 19 percent margin. "Too many senators underestimated both the urgent need for this amendment and the depth of feeling of many millions of Americans who want their elected officials to...

A U.S. Senate subcommittee on Thursday afternoon will hear testimony on whether a constitutional amendment is needed to "defend" the Defense of Marriage Act. That law -- signed by former President Bill Clinton in 1996 -- defines marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman; and it says the states do not have to recognize same-sex "marriages" conducted elsewhere. Some conservative groups insist that the federal law is not enough, especially in light of recent court rulings that advance the homosexual agenda. They say a constitutional amendment is needed to protect the intent of the Defense of...