The House voted down Thursday the Marriage Protection Amendment (MPA), which would have allowed states to decide on whether to ban same-sex “marriages.”
Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas was the main speaker in support of the amendment.
Although he acknowledged that marriage between a man and woman is protected under the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Clinton, he explained how it is still vulnerable under judicial power.
Congressional action was "forced upon us by activist judges trying to legislate from the bench,” DeLay said, causing the law to be "under an incessant and coordinated attack in the federal courts.”
He added that rather than supporting the Constitution, federal judges feel a greater “responsibility to their own political ideology.”
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md, also spoke in favor of the measure, stating, "God created Adam and Eve, He didn't create Adam and Steve.”
Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, R-Colo, author of the MPA, explained why tradition marriage is favorable to other options.
"The limitations of traditional marriage rest not on an intent to discriminate, but on what is most beneficial for society and children as evidenced by volumes of social science research,” she said.
She added, “Traditional marriage is worth preserving, because the nuclear family is far and away the best environment in which to raise children. Every child deserves both a father and a mother.”
Most supporters of the amendment, including DeLay, did not anticipate the proposal would garner two-thirds support from the House but knew the vote would put representatives’ stance on same-sex “marriage” on record before the fall election.
After the Senate filibustered a similar marriage amendment earlier this year, pro-family groups released on their websites information on how each Senator voted and stated their commitment to fight any future attacks on traditional marriage.
Eleven states will vote on proposed amendments banning same-sex “marriage” this fall.
