Senate Judiciary Committee Approves DOMA Repeal
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The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the Respect for Marriage Act by a 10 – 8 vote along party lines.
But considering that the bill repealing the Defense of Marriage Act only has about 31 Senate votes and no chance of ever passing in he Republican-led house, is this all just an exercise in futility—or worse, a ploy to garner LGBT support for Democrats?
The Courage Campaign’s Adam Bink says:
“We may not get to the finish line on repealing DOMA before this Congress adjourns. But if you’re working to repeal DOMA with us, don’t let anyone tell you that your work is a waste of time. If we wake up within shouting distance of having enough votes come January 2013, then we need to be in a position to deliver the final blow, otherwise we may miss our chance.
We repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” at the eleventh hour, at the very end of the last Congress, and with some last-minute legislative maneuvering at that. Couples suffering from DOMA deserve a quicker resolution. That means we need to start changing senators’ minds now. Success is not measured by what we can do now, but by progress we’ve made to achieve a goal.”
Of course, the Commander in Chief is pleased—with a caveat. A statement from the White House read:
“President Obama applauds today’s vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve the Respect for Marriage Act, which would provide a legislative repeal of the so-called ‘Defense of Marriage Act.’ The President has long believed that DOMA is discriminatory and has called for its repeal. We should all work towards taking this law off the books. The federal government should not deny gay and lesbian couples the same rights and legal protections afforded to straight couples.”
That doesn’t mean he’s okay with state governments denying us our rights, does it?
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Let's put it this way, ENDA (Employment Non Discrimination Act) has been up for a vote every year since 1970, under 4 different names, and still we can't get it passed.
