U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) this week indicated that he would not bring up the “Respect For Marriage Act” up for a vote in the House of Representatives.
John Boehner
In a press conference on Thursday, Boehner, responding to a reporter from the Washington Blade, Boehner said:
“Congress has acted on this issue some number of years ago, and I think that the Congress acted on [it] in a bi-partisan way. It is the law of the land and should remain the law of the land.”
The Respect For Marriage Act would repeal the current federal Defense Of Marriage Act (DOMA).
DOMA does not allow the federal government to acknowledge the legal same-sex marriages from the seven jurisdictions that perform them in the United States — Iowa, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Washington D.C., and tomorrow, New York.
This lack of recognition has many consequences for same-sex couples including, but not limited too, rights afforded to heterosexual couples in the areas of inheritance, taxes, federal benefits, and immigration.
The Defense Of Marriage Act has been under judicial scrutiny since last year, when U.S. District Court judge Joseph Tauro ruled against the law, saying that it violated the 14th and 10th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution.
It has since been deemed unconstitutional by the Obama administration, which has refused to defend the law in federal court, as well as several courts around the nation.
The Respect For Marriage Act received its first public hearing on Wednesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee, with Democratic Senators Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Patrick Leahy (Vt.), and Al Franken (Minn.) strongly expressing their distaste for the current law and the necessity of its repeal.
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Federal appeals panel agrees with lower court: DOMA unconstitutional
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Senate Committee holds first ever congressional hearing on DOMA repeal
White House endorses 'Respect for Marrriage Act,' bill would repeal DOMA
Obama administration files brief calling DOMA 'hostile' toward gay couples
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Marriage is a right. It shouldn’t be voted on
Then Im afraid Mr. Boehner will be very dissappointed when it becomes history just like “Dont Ask, Don’t Tell” (:
Boehner is an idiot!
Hey Boehner (Boner!) – come into the 21st century!!!!!
Because history teaches us that Congress has always acted correctly and never needed to correct past actions. He & his party are becoming irrelevant…maybe they’ll be the Whigs of the 21st Century?
Sooooo, it’s ok for Boehner to walk out of debt ceiling talks with the President and waste time talking about DOMA. Awesome priorities, dickhead.
“This should remain law because it is a law.” lol what does that even mean, Mr. Boehner
sometimes I wonder how these people stay in office, which such ridiculous statements made. News flash such laws even-though voted no longer hold place in society are always opened to be repealed. Duh.
forgive me for being thick but can anyone tell me how this effects the future of DOMA and it’s repeal. By refusing this way how does it effect progress in the fight against DOMA?
Giant Tool!
Seriously, between this and now saying that he would not consider the president in debt talks anymore, how does this man still stay in office. Is the House solely run by one person now? It makes me sick honestly and offended by his games!
It is republicanism at its worst…
Thomas, having no vote means repeal isn’t happening now. A bill has to be passed by both houses of congress and signed by the Pres to be enacted (or, in this case, repealed).
THANK YOU ALEX!!
You’re welcome.
Why? No, really…why?
Its ok cause when the deadline for our debt hits there will be no solution so all these self righteous politicians will lose their spots because civil war 2 will happen. Hey boner I thought the HCB was the law of the land too but you trying to repeal that. So to him and the politicians who are like him its the law of the land and must stay the law as long as he and they agree with the law. He needs to be castrated and forced to eat his own testicles!!!
Laws of the land are well known for constantly evolving all through history. Sorry man, you’ll be on the bad side of history.
Well mr.boehner, don’t you have some other law or something to cry about? Get over it dude and most importantly get over yourself. You’re pathetic.
Boehner your an ass and need to go away.
i AGREE…get rid of this guy!!!!
I am embarrassed in knowing he’s from my home state of Ohio… Change is going to happen, whether the conservative/religious nutjobs want it to… Freedom for ALL Americans!
F*ck off pizza face. He has to show us how almighty powerful he is. Doesn’t the POTUS have some executive powers that could help with both issues?
Lol and you need to step down BONER
If Boner can’t recognize a patently unconstitutional “bi-partisan law” when he sees one, he has no business being in Congress!
speaker boner sucker im very dissapointed in your act of H8 i am starting a petition with change.org to get you out of office
It’s terrifying to think that this guy is 3rd in line of the presidency. Just another staunch mean spirited republican that only cares for big business and having their lobbyists line his pockets! People that are for doma have no clue what it is really like to not have rights the same as heterosexual couples.
Let me get this right. Boehner can dictate what acts are brought up for discussion and voting, and thereby is totally in control of the country, right? He has total veto power over all the others elected by the citizens.
Agree, it is sad that this is a vote and that people continue to think its a vote; what happened to equal rights in this country…so much for the land of the free.
Maybe i should stop paying my taxes to these idiots
didn’t we once have laws of the land revolving around slavery…hmmm i wonder if he would say oh, lets just keep them.