Speaker Boehner to Defend Federal DOMA!

I read my letter to Congressman Schilling in defense of the Defense of Marriage Act to my congregation on Sunday and strongly urged them to let their voices be heard on this matter.  Today we received the wonderful news that our prayers were answered and the Speaker of the House will do what the President and his Attorney General won’t.  And as the Illinois Family Institute release below advises, let’s all be sure to extend our thanks to the Speaker!

Wednesday, March 02, 2011  By David E. Smith, IFI Executive Director  – Illinois Family Institute  Federal Issue  With President Barack Obama and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder abdicating their constitutional obligations to defend the laws of the United States, particularly the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the onus has now fallen on the U.S. Congress to act in defense of the law it passed and President Bill Clinton signed in 1996. With the U.S. Senate still controlled by Democrats, the House of Representatives led by Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is where a defense would come from. “I’m really disappointed in the President and the Department of Justice in the fact that they’re not going to defend a law that Congress passed overwhelmingly,” Boehner told CBN’s David Brody on Sunday. “It’s their responsibly to do that.” Boehner also told Brody that one option is for the U.S. House to appoint a special counsel to defend DOMA and that a decision on a course of action is likely by Friday. U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) said “that House Republicans would take action to protect the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) against recent legal challenges.” Cantor also said that “to have the administration take the position, the president take the position, that he’s not defending the law of the land, is something very troubling….” It remains critical, however, that Speaker Boehner receives support from the American people. Please take 5 minutes to call Speaker Boehner. Thank him for his defense of traditional marriage, and encourage him to follow through with the U.S. House intervening in defense of the Federal DOMA by appointing a special counsel. Speaker of the House John Boehner: 202-225-0600 You can also contact Speaker Boehner through his WEBSITE, or via Facebook and Twitter.  For our families, David E. Smith IFI Executive Director

UPDATE: Statement by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) Regarding the Defense of Marriage Act

Washington (Mar 4)

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement regarding the status of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA):

“I will convene a meeting of the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group for the purpose of initiating action by the House to defend this law of the United States, which was enacted by a bipartisan vote in Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton.  It is regrettable that the Obama Administration has opened this divisive issue at a time when Americans want their leaders to focus on jobs and the challenges facing our economy. The constitutionality of this law should be determined by the courts — not by the president unilaterally — and this action by the House will ensure the matter is addressed in a manner consistent with our Constitution.”

 

A Letter To My Congressman In Defense of DOMA

Dear Congressman Schilling,

In 1996, the duly elected officials of the US Senate and the US House of Representatives passed the Defense of Marriage Act by strong margins (85-14 and 342-67, respectively). President Clinton, in turn, signed it into law.

Though a federal judge wrongly ruled last year that the act is unconstitutional, that decision is under appeal. This means, of course, that the President is still obligated to enforce DOMA it until the appellate process is exhausted. Yesterday, however, President Obama’s Attorney General, Eric Holder, announced that the US Department of Justice will no longer legally defend Section 3 of DOMA, the section that defines marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman. In an obvious and disappointing effort to pander to his political base, President Obama has arbitrarily concluded that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. I find this politicization of the Justice Department positively reprehensible.

I am appealing to you, my elected representative, to apply your own congressional authority to independently defend the Defense of Marriage Act in federal court. The President and the Justice Department clearly have no interest in preserving this sacred institution, and President Obama has abandoned his constitutional role to defend federal laws enacted by Congress. I beg you to do what he won’t.

As a pastor, I consider DOMA’s Section 3 to be a vital legal protection for me. It preserves the right of individual states to govern themselves with respect to family-related laws and policies. It is also a potent impediment to judicial activism.

Congressman, I would surrender my church, my ministry, my property, my liberty, and even my life before I would solemnize or officially recognize any union that flies in the face of the Bible’s definition of marriage. The President’s action – or rather, inaction – is a step closer to a day when Bible-believing pastors who refuse to perform same-sex ceremonies will face civil and even criminal penalties for our unwillingness to compromise on the Word of God. While that is a price that I’m prepared to pay, Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is a valuable precedent that bolsters my own defense against ever having to make such a choice. It should be preserved and I am counting on you and your colleagues to do just that.

Thank you for your service to our great republic. May God bless you.

Sincerely,

Pastor Jim Bennett

"We don't like this particular law, so, um, tough noogies."