The Justice Department today announced that they will no longer defend the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” in two lawsuits that had recently been filed in Federal District Court challenging the law.
In a letter sent to House speaker John Boehner, Attorney General Eric Holder wrote that Section 3 of the statute which bars the federal government from recognizing legal marriages of same-sex couples is a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fifth Amendment. Holder wrote that in response the the lawsuit which had been filed recently (Windsor v. United States, No. 1:10-cv-8435 (S.D.N.Y.); Pedersen v. OPM, No. 3:10-cv-1750 (D. Conn.).
Good news, indeed! I don't have the kind of mind to understand the legal twists and turns, but I'm pleased that the US Justice department will no longer defend the indefensible.
Other that the fact that this is the right thing to do, what I absolutely love about this decision is that it sends the right message about resources. Our country is in a financial crisis, and our President has decided that pursuing the defense of this hateful law is a bad use of our resources.
ReplyDeleteIf certain politicians would get it through their iron-clad skulls that our nation's resources are NOT best spent on preventing access to health care for women, or sex education that doesn't work, then time, energy, and money can be spent on what really matters - education and jobs - we would all be better off.
annski, even a commentator on Fox News says the Justice Dept. made the right decision. I don't know what's happening at Fox News. They sometimes tell the truth these days.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Annski!
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