Durbin joins other Democrats in seeking to repeal anti-gay marriage act
Wed. March 16, 2011 3:57 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
Washington, D.C. -
Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Illinois) on Wednesday co-sponsored a bill to repeal the controversial Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the 1996 law that banned the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage even if a couple has been married under state law.
The Respect for Marriage Act was reintroduced in the House and introduced in the Senate for the first time.
Democrats launched the repeal effort on Wednesday with Durbin, one of 17 senators to join Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) lead. Other co-sponsors include Sens. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), Charles Schumer (D-New York), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Patty Murray (D-Washington). In all there are 20 co-sponsors showing support.
The four openly gay member of Congress, Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), David Cicilline (D-Rhose Island), Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) and Jared Polis (D-Colorado), joined Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-New York) and John Conyers (D-Michigan.) as sponsors. The bill has 108 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives including Illinois Reps. Danny Davis, Luis Gutierrez, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Mike Quigley, and Jan Schakowsky.
"Democrats in Congress are sticking to their promises to the LGBT community and have begun to show us tangible results," said Chicago Alderman Tom Tunney (44th Ward). "When it comes down to it, this is not an issue of politics. This is an issue of basic human rights and fairness."
Repealing DOMA would give marriage gay and lesbian couples the full protection under federal law.
Earlier this month, President Barack Obama ordered the Department of Justice to stop defending the constitutionality of DOMA in court.
Than changes of the legislation pass tine House are slim.
The Respect for Marriage Act was reintroduced in the House and introduced in the Senate for the first time.
Democrats launched the repeal effort on Wednesday with Durbin, one of 17 senators to join Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) lead. Other co-sponsors include Sens. John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), Charles Schumer (D-New York), Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon) and Patty Murray (D-Washington). In all there are 20 co-sponsors showing support.
The four openly gay member of Congress, Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin), David Cicilline (D-Rhose Island), Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) and Jared Polis (D-Colorado), joined Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-New York) and John Conyers (D-Michigan.) as sponsors. The bill has 108 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives including Illinois Reps. Danny Davis, Luis Gutierrez, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Mike Quigley, and Jan Schakowsky.
"Democrats in Congress are sticking to their promises to the LGBT community and have begun to show us tangible results," said Chicago Alderman Tom Tunney (44th Ward). "When it comes down to it, this is not an issue of politics. This is an issue of basic human rights and fairness."
Repealing DOMA would give marriage gay and lesbian couples the full protection under federal law.
Earlier this month, President Barack Obama ordered the Department of Justice to stop defending the constitutionality of DOMA in court.
Than changes of the legislation pass tine House are slim.