White House Rejects Duty to Defend Marriage Law

Washington, DC – Republican Study Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan released the following statement after the Obama administration announced it would no longer defend the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. DOMA was signed into law by former President Bill Clinton with bipartisan support in Congress.

“The Obama administration is making a tragic mistake in walking away from the defense of traditional marriage,” said Chairman Jordan. “A community is only as strong as its most basic unit, the family. Marriage is a cornerstone of the family. Whenever American voters have had a chance to weigh in on the issue, they have voted to define marriage as what marriage has always been.

“The American people deserve to know that their President will uphold and defend the laws of the United States. Since taking office, Attorney General Eric Holder’s defense of DOMA has been inadequate at best. As an excuse to put its political views above the law, the Obama administration applied a different legal standard than what the courts themselves have used.”

To date, more than half the States have codified in their Constitutions the traditional definition of marriage.