February 13, 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Family Research Council (FRC) today praised U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) for introducing the Senate companion of the "State Marriage Defense Act of 2014" and urged members of the U.S. Senate to support it.
The State Marriage Defense Act is a response to the Supreme Court's 2013 decision in United States v. Windsor. Windsor struck down the federal definition of marriage in Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act because the Court ruled that DOMA conflicted with the tradition of the federal government deferring to the authority of individual states to define and regulate marriage.
The State Marriage Defense Act is necessary because current Obama administration policy goes beyond the legal boundaries of Windsor with some federal agencies adopting rules recognizing the same sex relationships of couples, even if they reside in a state that does not recognize their relationship thereby doing what the court reserved for the states defining and regulating marriage. The State Marriage Defense Act was originally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in January by Congressman Randy Weber (R-Texas) and currently has 57 co-sponsors.
FRC President Tony Perkins released the following statement:
"After a series of federal agency actions undermining state laws on marriage, we are pleased that Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee are stepping in to make sure the federal government respects state marriage laws. We appreciate their leadership in introducing a bill that would resolve much of the legal chaos that has been unleashed by the Obama administration since the Supreme Court's marriage ruling last summer.
"The Department of Justice (DOJ) is the latest agency to announce a policy of recognizing same sex couples as 'married' - even if they live in a state that does not.
"These announcements not only contradict other agency guidance, but also undermine state laws on marriage, a result directly condemned by the Windsor Court's ruling. The president is using the power of his federal agencies as a backdoor to expand marriage redefinition to every state in America. This lawlessness must stop.
"The State Marriage Defense Act simply tells the federal government to respect state determinations of the marital status of their residents when applying federal law.
"We urge senators who respect the rule of law, including state laws on marriage, to co-sponsor this bill," concluded Perkins.
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