September 29, 2004
Marriage Protection Amendment
One-Minute Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight some of the major points for protecting marriage. President Clinton and Congress enacted the Defense of Marriage Act to define marriage between one man and one woman. Despite these facts, it is becoming increasingly common to see activist judges legislating from the bench on this important issue. Today a handful of judges are doing the work of a liberal few and forcing us to take action. To do nothing is to allow these unelected judges to make law by redefining the family for the rest of us.

The Marriage Protection Amendment preserves the state of the American family. Families function best when mom and dad are married, and live together with their children. We should be considering what is best for our children – redefining marriage, as we know it, hurts our children because marriage is the institution we rely on to raise our kids.

Poll after poll continues to show that the American public wants to protect marriage. The Polling Company recently reported nearly 70% of Americans “strongly agree” that marriage should be one man and one woman. The Los Angeles Times took a similar poll and found 72% of Americans opposing same-sex marriage. The states are reacting to this and 44 states so far have enacted laws that define marriage between a man and a woman.

Judges are redefining marriage for Americans and ignoring public sentiment. These liberal, activist judges are not elected and are not interpreting DOMA as Congress intended. The only option left is a Constitutional Amendment and I urge my colleagues to vote for the Marriage Protection Amendment.