Sen. Ben Cardin: Time for Congress to Repeal DOMA

I met my wife, Myrna, in grade school. We've been married for 47 years. We've built our lives together -- sharing everything, like any loving couple.

And, rightfully, the federal government recognizes and respects that. But what if it didn't? What if a group of extreme ideologues decided that our love didn't count?

It is time for Congress to make sure this doesn't happen and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, DOMA.

I am fighting for marriage equality in the U.S. Senate. But I need your help right now. We need to demonstrate what we already know: The vast majority of Americans support equal rights for all loving and committed couples.

Help me send that message to extremists in Washington by signing my petition to repeal DOMA.

Discrimination cannot be tolerated. It degrades us as a nation and as a society. That is why we must pass the Respect for Marriage Act, a bill that would repeal DOMA and allow loving and committed same-sex couples to enjoy the same benefits my wife and I do.

I am dedicated to this goal and will do everything in my power to get this bill passed. But we need to show opponents of equality that we have a strong, overwhelming coalition willing to stand up for our values.

If you join me today and sign our petition, we can do just that.

Please sign our petition to support equality for all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation.

Together, we can end this hurtful and discriminatory policy.

Thank you for joining me in this effort.

Senator Benjamin Cardin

APPEALS COURT DECISION: GOOD NEWS FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY IN MARYLAND THIS FALL

On May 31, 2012, in a unanimous decision, a three-judge panel of the Ist Circuit of the US Court of Appeals ruled that the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. 


The issue before the court was whether legally married same-sex partners can be denied federal benefits by DOMA, when those benefits (such as the privilege to file joint tax returns, survivors benefits) are available to differently gendered married couples.

The judges concluded that the legislative record on DOMA is “filled with encomia to heterosexual marriage,” but there is lacking any explanation “how denying benefits to same-sex couples will reinforce heterosexual marriage.”

The judicial decision concluded that it is not enough to express "moral disapproval" to justify discrimination. Rather, a discriminatory law must be justified by the demonstration of a permissible and compelling federal interest. The judges found that there is no such federal interest served by denying benefits to married, same-sex couples.

In striking down DOMA, this panel concluded:

“Under current Supreme Court authority, Congress’ denial of federal benefits to same-sex couples lawfully married in Massachusetts has not been adequately supported by any permissible federal interest.”

IST CIR DECISION

See also:

Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional - Washington Post


EDITORIAL: Courts evolve on same-sex marriage