Focus on the Family’s James Dobson did something he has "never done before and never been able to do before" during his July 7 radio broadcast. He named all the Senators who opposed or remain undecided on the Federal Marriage Amendment to his over 2 million listeners and urged them to contact their Senators.
"Call them every day," he said. "Get all your friends to call. Call until the switchboard smokes."
Dobson and other pro-family groups have been feverently mobilizing a grassroots’ movement in support of the FMA as the date on which the Senate is scheduled to vote on the issue looms near. On July 12, the Senate is expected to begin debating on the consitutional amendment, which bans same-sex “marriages” by defining the union to be betweeen one man and one woman.
Of the 100 Senators, 33 Senators have stated they will vote in favor of the Federal Marriage Amendment, according to Dobson. The other 67 Senators either have stated their opposition or remain undecided, he said.
There must be 67 Senators who vote for the amendment in order for it to pass. According to Congressional experts, it is uncertain the amendment can even garner 60 votes.
Supporters of the Federal Marriage Amendment have championed the measure as the only way to protect traditional marriage in the States. Although other laws defining marriage to be between one man and one woman have passed in some states, it is insufficient, according to President of the Alliance Defense Fund Alan Sears, who was a guest on Dobson’s program that day.
“Courts can strike that down,”said Sears referring to the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. However, the FMA “takes it out of the jurisdiction of [the] court."
Phone calls can make the difference, said Dobson. Senators who support the amendment, he said, have requested that people call Washington.
Focus on the Family Action, a pro-family lobbying organization, funded the radio brodacast.
Dobson will also appear on a live simulcast rallying support for the FMA this Sunday. The program will part of “Marriage Protection Sunday,” in which pastors are urged to preach on the sanctity of marriage and call on their congregants to tell Senators to support the FMA.
According to Dobson 67 Senators either are opposed to the amendment or are undecided. They are:
Daniel Akaka (D.-Hawaii), Max Baucus (D.-Mont.), Evan Bayh (D.-Ind.), Robert Bennett (R.-Utah), Joseph Biden (D.-Del.), Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Barbara Boxer (D.-Calif.), John Breaux (D.-La.), Robert Byrd (D.-W.Va.), Ben Campbell (R.-Colo.), Maria Cantwell (D.-Wash.), Thomas Carper (D.-Del.), Lincoln Chafee (R.-R.I.), Hillary Clinton (D.-N.Y.), Susan Collins (R.-Maine), Kent Conrad (D.-N.D.), Jon Corzine (D.-N.J.), Thomas Daschle (D.-S.D.), Mark Dayton (D.-Minn.), Mike DeWine (R.-Ohio), Christopher Dodd (D.-Conn.), Byron Dorgan (D.-N.D.), Richard Durbin (D.-Ill.), John Edwards (D.-N.C.), Russell Feingold (D.-Wis.), Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.), Bob Graham (D.-Fla.), Judd Gregg (R.-N.H.), Chuck Hagel (R.-Neb.), Tom Harkin (D.-Iowa), Ernest Hollings (D.-S.C.), Daniel Inouye (D.-Hawaii), James Jeffords (I-Vt.), Tim Johnson (D.-S.D.), Edward Kennedy (D.-Mass.), John Kerry (D.-Mass.), Herb Kohl (D.-Wis.), Mary Landrieu (D.-La.), Frank Lautenberg (D.-N.J.), Patrick Leahy (D.-Vt.), Carl Levin (D.-Mich.), Joseph Lieberman (D.-Conn.), Blanche Lincoln (D.-Ark.), Richard Lugar (R.-Ind.), John McCain (R.-Ariz.), Barbara Mikulski (D.-Md.), Lisa Murkowski (R.-Alaska), Patty Murray (D.-Wash.), Bill Nelson (D.-Fla.), Ben Nelson (D.-Neb.), Don Nickles (R.-Okla.), Mark Pryor (D.-Ark.), Jack Reed (D.-R.I.), Harry Reid (D.-Nev.), Pat Roberts (R.-Kan.), John Rockefeller (D.-W.Va.), Paul Sarbanes (D.-Md.), Charles Schumer (D.-N.Y.), Gordon Smith (R.-Ore.), Olympia Snowe (R.-Maine), Arlen Specter (R.-Pa.), Debbie Stabenow (D.-Mich.), John Sununu, R.-N.H., Craig Thomas (R.-Wyo.), George Voinovich (R.-Ohio), John Warner (R.-Va.), Ron Wyden (D.-Ore.).
