Representative Musgrave has introduced H.J.Res. 56, to propose a federal marriage constitutional amendment.  This legislation declares that marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman and that federal and state constitutions and laws shall not be construed to require that marital status or the legal rights associated with marriage will be given to unmarried couples or groups.  H.J.Res. 56 is pending before the House Judiciary Committee.  Similar legislation was introduced during the last Congress however it did not make it to the floor of the House for a vote prior to the end of the last Congress. 

In 1996, the House passed H.R. 3396, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).  This bill defines and protects the institution of marriage for the purposes of federal law as “only a legal union of one man and one woman.”  DOMA does allow each state the discretion to recognize or reject same sex marriages performed in other states, and it does not prevent states from continuing to define marriage for themselves. I voted in favor of this bill because I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.  This legislation was signed into law by President Clinton on September 21, 1996.

Recent events in Massachusetts and San Francisco, along with the President’s call for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman, have created a great deal of controversy and increased the likelihood that such an amendment may come to the House floor for a vote this year.  I do not support gay marriage, and I take amending our Constitution very seriously.  I will monitor this issue closely, and knowing of your strong feelings on this issue, you can be sure that I will keep your concerns in mind if this legislation comes before the House for a vote.