Supreme Court DOMA Decision Rules Federal Same-Sex Marriage Ban Unconstitutional Posted: 06/26/2013 10:03 am EDT Gay Marriage, DOMA Supreme Court, Defense Of Marriage Act Supreme Court, Edie Windsor, Edith Windsor, Supreme Court Defense Of Marriage Act, Windsor v. U.S. Edith "Edie" Windsor, Windsor v. U.S. Edith "Edie" Windsor Decision, Windsor v. U.S. Edith "Edie" Windsor Ruling, Defense Of Marriage Act Decision, Defense Of Marriage Act Ruling, Doma Decision, Doma Ruling, Edie Windsor Doma, Same Sex Marriage, Supreme Court DOMA, Supreme Court Defense Of Marriage Act Decision, Supreme Court Defense Of Marriage Act Ruling, Supreme Court Doma Decision, Supreme Court Doma Ruling, Supreme Court Gay Marriage, Supreme Court Gay Marriage Ruling, Supreme Court Same-Sex Marriage, Supreme Court Same-Sex Marriage Ruling, Politics News WASHINGTON -- The Defense of Marriage Act, the law barring the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages legalized by the states, is unconstitutional, the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday by a 5-4 vote. DOMA, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996, prevents same-sex couples whose marriages are recognized by their home state from receiving the hundreds of benefits available to other married couples under federal law. During the Obama administration, the Justice Department initially defended DOMA in court despite the administration’s desire to repeal it. But the Justice Department changed course in early 2011, finding that the law was unconstitutional and declining to defend it any longer. House Republicans have since spent hundreds of thousands of dollars taking over that defense. Plaintiff Edie Windsor, 84, sued the federal government after the Internal Revenue Service denied her refund request for the $363,000 in federal estate taxes she paid after her spouse, Thea Spyer, died in 2009. During the March oral arguments in United States v. Windsor, a majority of the court seemed to express doubts about the constitutionality of DOMA. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said that supporters of the law seemed to want "two types of marriage," likening same-sex unions to the "skim milk" version of marriage.
2 bits, gathered from the story: "DOMA, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996..." Those damn, intolerate, hypocritical democraps! "During the Obama administration, the Justice Department initially defended DOMA in court despite the administration’s desire to repeal it" Really? The admin wanted to repeal it at the same time they were defending it? (Why does "I was for it before I was against it" come to mind?) Read more: http://www.partisanlines.com/threads/doma-no-more-liberalism-wins-again.50394/#ixzz2XKfM6Qvn
The court has finally ruled Clinton's DOMA unconstitutional. Congratulations to all married persons who should, rightfully, have benefits.
Your usual simple-minded approach to most issues. It is just great how you can completely ignore that the Repukes will go crazy over this and that the Dems will celebrate.
But a dem signed it into law, right? And it was as recently as 1996, right? Even the current clown-in-chief supported it until it was no longer beneficial to him politically (under financial pressure from his Hollywood millionaire supporters). Kinda blows your assertion that the dems have been leading the fight for Civil Rights since the '60's right out of the water, doesn't it?
Perspective: Democrats are celebrating the right-leaning SC's decision to overturn a law enacted by the last democrat prez & defended by the current democrat prez yet they are trying to sell it as a victory over Republicans? How does that work?
But, but, but, but..... Simple-minded as usual. Let's just wait and see exactly who goes nuts over this and who doesn't. Any bets?
Republican reactions: Gov. Mike Huckabee ✔ @GovMikeHuckabee My thoughts on the SCOTUS ruling that determined that same sex marriage is okay: "Jesus wept." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) released this statement following the SCOTUS decisions: "Marriage was created by the hand of God. No man, not even a Supreme Court, can undo what a holy God has instituted. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) issued the following statement after the SCOTUS ruling: "I am disappointed in the Court's ruling today because the American people should hold the power to determine marriage policy, not the Supreme Court," said King. "I believe DOMA meets all constitutional standards and I am disappointed that a technical, standing issue means that gay marriage is legal in California despite the will of the voters who enacted Proposition 8. "It is important to realize that the Supreme Court intentionally chose not to find a constitutional right to marry anyone you choose, whether same-sex, or otherwise. The definition of marriage is not redefined this day. Legally speaking, states are now the sole body responsible for identifying legal marriages. Thirty-eight states to date have chosen to identify only traditional marriage. The attempt to redefine marriage will not change the fact that limited government should be responsible for making this decision, and that marriage marks the sacred union of one man and one woman." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gregory T. Angelo, Executive Director of LCR, released the following statement after the SCOTUS decisions: "Today's ruling is a victory of conservative principles and admonishment of government overreach. "Civil marriage strengthens families, supports stability, andallows greater opportunity for couples to live without the crutch of government assistance, and now with Section 3 of DOMA rightly relegated to the dustbin of history, same-sex couples in civil marriage partnerships in those states that allow it can engage in the full spectrum of federal rights previously denied them. "Log Cabin Republicans thanks our allies and advocates around the country for their efforts, with special recognition to Republican Ted Olson, whose persuasive argument against Proposition 8 has cemented his legacy as a conservative hero on the right side of history, regardless of the scope of today's ruling. Now the fight continues in the states, and Log Cabin Republicans will continue to be on the front lines to take the conservative case for marriage to Republicans across the nation. History is on our side, and the wind is at our backs. We're not done yet — not by a long shot." -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This last one is some Republicans realizing the stupidity of other Republicans.
Here is another "pro-gay marriage" Republican demonstrating that it is really the Democrats against equality for gay couples. Right! Love how you guys interpret history. Tim Huelskamp Readies Constitutional Amendment To Ban Gay Marriage Posted: 06/26/2013 5:12 pm EDT | Updated: 06/27/2013 5:26 am EDT WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court ruling Wednesday that the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional isn't stopping Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-Kansas) from trying to block same-sex marriages through another route: by amending the U.S. Constitution. Huelskamp said he plans to introduce the Federal Marriage Amendment later this week, a measure that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. DOMA did the same thing, but was a federal law, not a constitutional amendment. As such, the Federal Marriage Act is more far-reaching but also a tougher climb. It requires the support of two-thirds of the House and Senate, and ratification by three-fourths of the states, or 38 states. "This would trump the Supreme Court," Huelskamp told The Huffington Post. Huelskamp said his bill has no cosponsors yet, but said its language will be almost identical to past Federal Marriage Amendments introduced in Congress. The last time Congress voted on the proposed constitutional amendment was in July 2006, when it failed 236-187. It needed 290 votes to pass. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) were among those who voted for the amendment at the time. Support for same-sex marriage among Americans has grown steadily over the past year. A Gallup poll from May 2013 found that 53 percent of Americans say federal law should recognize gay marriages. Just ahead of Wednesday's Supreme Court ruling, CNN/ORC released a new poll that put support at 55 percent. Asked why he thinks lawmakers would embrace his amendment to ban gay marriage when such a move doesn't reflect what most Americans support, Huelskamp said majority opinions aren't always the best measure. "A majority of Americans don't like President Obama as president, but he's still the president," Huelskamp said. "What did not happen is what the court and then the folks pushing for [DOMA repeal] hoped would happen: that it would end the debate. The debate is not over."
