Gay Marriage Cases Could Cost House $500K or More (Boehner tries to conceal)

[usregimechange]

The contract hiring King & Spalding's Paul Clement to represent the U.S. House in same-sex marriage litigation allows for the firm to collect as much as $500,000 in fees, though the sides could raise that cap if the House hits it before the lawsuits end.

A copy of the contract was released today by the office of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a day after Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) declined to do so.

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill sharply criticized the size of the contract. “The hypocrisy of this legal boondoggle is mind-blowing,” Hammill said in an e-mailed statement. “Speaker Boehner is spending half a million dollars of taxpayer money to defend discrimination. If Republicans were really interested in cutting spending, this should be at the top of the list.”

In a letter on Monday, Boehner said the cost to the House would not be necessary if President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. had not decided to abandon the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. The 1996 law prohibits federal recognition of same-sex marriage, and plaintiffs are challenging it in multiple federal courts.

http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2011/04/gay-marriage-cases-could-cost-house-500k-or-more.html


A law that is so clearly a violation of the Equal Protection Clause that a chimpanzee with borderline intellectual functioning would know it.

[usregimechange]

1. Half a million, in the context of a US debt crisis, all for discrimination!!!

[usregimechange]

2. Because Republicans really care about debt

[MadMaddie]

3. Where are the Jobs Boehner? Where the F are the jobs?

[Tx4obama]

4. Someone please explain how Boehner can spend 1/2 million taxpayers' dollars....

without the House and Senate voting on it?

Where exactly is he taking the money from?

And where in the 'rules' does it say that the House can defend and fund lawsuits?

The whole issue seems strange to me.

[usregimechange]

6. Really, thought that was the job of the SG and how do you go over their heads on this?

[robinlynne]

5. the size is not the biggest problem here......

[riderinthestorm]

7. Yes but Boner got the ability to cut grandma's heating assistance for that!

See, $500k for going after gay marriage is worth a grandma or two freezing to death in the winter!!

Or perhaps you'd rather a few more wolves were shot to death instead?

Go ahead, pick your policy rider that got approved so Boner has his $500k plus to continue to fight for discrimination....





(too much to hope for the Dems to frame it this way....)

[gratuitous]

8. What irks me

Is the Department of Justice can decide not to defend the constitutionality of DOMA, and that's as fine as paint. But the DOJ can't seem to find the political will to follow the Constitution in prosecuting terrorists, preferring instead to turn non-military prisoners over to a military tribunal. The reasons cited are the "strong feelings" of some Republicans and the pants-wetting fear of some citizens. If the Constitution is supposed to be our law, then let's follow it!

[Zorra]

9. Very cool that Rep. Pelosi released the contract after Boehner tried to hide it.

[darkstar3]

10. The House has no authority to defend any law.

The House doesn't defend or enforce laws, it makes them. There's absolutely no Constitutional basis for Boehner's actions. What I'd like to know is, could he be prosecuted for this?

[mrmpa]

12. I agree with you....it is the republican party that doesn't like this law so

the republican party should find someone who has standing in regard to this case and the republican party should pay for it, not the American people.

[darkstar3]

11. dupe

delete.