Obama Justice Department files defense of Defense of Marriage Act
Fri. January 14, 2011 8:40 AM by GoPride.com News Staff
Washington, D.C. -
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a legal motion defending the "Defense of Marriage Act" (DOMA), which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman.
The DOJ claims they're just doing their job.
"The Department of Justice, notwithstanding the administration policy view which is strongly held by us, has an institutional responsibility to defend the constitutionality of congressional statutes, whether we agree with them or not," Assistant Attorney General Tony West told Talking Points Memo.
"The Administration claims that it has a duty to defend the laws that are on the books, despite the President publicly decrying DOMA as discriminatory," said the Human Rights Campaign in a statement. "We disagree. And at the very least, the Justice Department can and should acknowledge that the law is unconstitutional."
DOJ's Defense Of DOMA
The DOJ claims they're just doing their job.
"The Department of Justice, notwithstanding the administration policy view which is strongly held by us, has an institutional responsibility to defend the constitutionality of congressional statutes, whether we agree with them or not," Assistant Attorney General Tony West told Talking Points Memo.
"The Administration claims that it has a duty to defend the laws that are on the books, despite the President publicly decrying DOMA as discriminatory," said the Human Rights Campaign in a statement. "We disagree. And at the very least, the Justice Department can and should acknowledge that the law is unconstitutional."
DOJ's Defense Of DOMA