Feinstein will introduce bill to repeal Defense of Marriage Act

[steve2470]

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_17463241?nclick_check=1

On the heels of President Barack Obama's announcement that the federal government will no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act, U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., issued a statement Wednesday saying that as a Senate Judiciary Committee member, she intends to introduce a bill that would repeal the act once and for all.

The 1996 law defines marriage as a union between and man and a woman.

"My own belief is that when two people love each other and enter the contract of marriage, the federal government should honor that," she said. "I opposed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996. It was the wrong law then; it is the wrong law now; and it should be repealed."

Rick Jacobs, founder and chairman of the Courage Campaign -- a progressive grass roots organization that says it represents 700,000 Californians -- said on a conference call Wednesday that the president's decision "is a huge victory for equality and justice in the United States."

The Courage Campaign had pressured the Obama Administration not to defend these cases, and Jacobs said it launched a social-media effort to thank the president for his decision -- but also to urge him to publicly acknowledge gays' and lesbians' right to marry.

on edit: My bad about Feinstein. She never supported DOMA.

[msongs]

1. too bad this didnt happen when dems controlled both houses of congress nt