DOMA battle heats up

[cal04]

Barbara Morrill
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/03/16/956965/-DOMA-battle-heats-up


In the wake of last month's decision by the Obama administration to have the Justice Department stop defending DOMA in court, the battle over the 15-year old law is heating up:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/51402.html#ixzz1GmKPZDFp

In the House, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Rep. John Conyers, the top Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, will join the chamber’s four openly gay members – Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.) and David Cicilline (D-R.I.) – in introducing a bill to repeal DOMA, the 1996 law which bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) will introduce a companion bill in the Senate.

Meanwhile, 94 House Republicans have introduced a resolution to condemn the Obama administration and to demand the Justice Department defend the discriminatory law "in all instances." Not because they're bigoted homophobes, of course, but because:

Whereas the vast majority of Americans believe that marriage should continue to be what it always has been--the legal and spiritual union between one man and one woman

Except they don't
http://www.hrc.org/DOMApoll2011/files/HRC-DOMA-Poll_GQRR-memo.pdf

Overall, 51 percent oppose a Defense of Marriage Law that prohibits federal recognition of legally performed marriages. Just 34 percent favor.

Not that the House GOP will let any facts get in the way of their "whereas." Or their teahadist base.


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[TheWraith]

1. Not much of a battle, really.

The DOMA repeal bill will go exactly nowhere.

The resolution condemning the Obama admin will be roundly ignored.

Congressional Republicans will take up attempting to defend DOMA in federal court.

"Battle" implies some degree of uncertainty about the outcome which really isn't present here.

[gratuitous]

2. Republicans love marriage

Some of them so much that they've had two, three, even four marriages. But if Gary and Herb get married legally after all these years together, it will simply ruin marriage for the likes of Newt Gingrich.

[patrice]

3. Solidarity against DOMA!!!

[xchrom]

4. Recommend

[Tx4obama]

5. Congress is introducing ROMA - 'Respect of Marriage Act'

Respect for Marriage Act to repeal DOMA introduced in U.S. House and Senate

WASHINGTON, March 16 — The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force applauds the introduction of the Respect for Marriage Act, landmark legislation to repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). U.S. Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jared Polis (D-Colo.), David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and John Conyers (D-Mich.) today announced the bill’s reintroduction in the House. And, for the first time, the legislation has been introduced in the Senate where it is championed by lead sponsors Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey attended today’s congressional press conferences announcing the bill.

The Respect for Marriage Act seeks to repeal DOMA, a 1996 law that targets legally married same-sex couples for discriminatory treatment under federal law, selectively denying them critical federal responsibilities and rights. Following the Obama administration’s recent announcement that it will no longer defend DOMA in court, House Republican leaders vowed to move to protect the discriminatory law.

Full article here: http://www.thetaskforce.org/press/releases/pr_af_031611

[Drale]

6. I really don't understand why the republicans care so much

its not really religion like the face they put on because if they were really that religious anyone killing anyone else would make them sick. The only thing that it could be is that they are afraid if gays are given equal rights, they will have to come to terms with their own sexual identity.

[Still Sensible]

7. Because they raise copious amounts of money

from their neanderthal base that has bought into the democrats=liberals=immoral meme. Gays and abortion are the biggest issues for the GOP to extract money (and volunteers) from the fundamentalist common folk... the rest of their financial support comes from corporatists and bankers.