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The Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) announced the first step that will allow the House of Representatives to be party to the defense of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
"I will convene a meeting of the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group for the purpose of initiating action by the House to defend this law of the United States," Boehner said in a statement.
This comes after the Justice Department announced last week that they would no longer uphold the constitutionality of DOMA in court but "work closely with the courts to ensure that Congress has a full and fair opportunity to participate in pending litigation."
According to House Rules, Boehner has the ability to direct the House Office of General Counsel in "legal assistance and representation" matters. But while his consultation with the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group -- which consists of House leadership, may only be a formality -- he plans on having the group vote on how to direct the General Counsel. Since that group is made of up the speaker, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), there is little doubt that the group will vote to defend the law.
Later in his statement, Boehner admonishes the Obama administration for moving forward with this issue during the uncertain economic climate.
"It is regrettable that the Obama administration has opened this divisive issue at a time when Americans want their leaders to focus on jobs and the challenges facing our economy," Boehner said.
"The constitutionality of this law should be determined by the courts -- not by the president unilaterally -- and this action by the House will ensure the matter is addressed in a manner consistent with our Constitution," Boehner added.
Though some would say Boehner's House has also not focused explicitly on jobs by giving support to Rep. Chris Smith's (R-NJ) bill that seeks to assure no federal funds are used to obtain an abortion. Earlier this year, Boehner gave Smith's bill the designation of H.R. 3 signaling it's legislative importance behind funding the government (H.R.1) and repealing health care (H.R.2).
"Aside from standing up for a discriminatory law and failing to focus on jobs and the economy, this action places Republicans squarely on the wrong side of history and progress," Pelosi said in a statement in response. "In addition, this decision will burden the staff and monetary resources of the Office of the General Counsel, and given the complexity of these cases and the number of courts involved, it is likely this will cost the House hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars."
The group is scheduled to meet some time next week.
This announcement does avoid what could have been a nasty floor fight. The speaker had multiple options to choose from including having the whole House vote on whether to defend DOMA in court or not.
DOMA was signed into law in 1996 by President Bill Clinton and states in part, "In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word 'marriage' means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word 'spouse' refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife."
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"Gerbil Whisperer" Boenher seems to be very interested in all things gay ...it makes me wounder why? Or should i say KY ?
Eliminating Health Care?
HOW DOES THIS CREATE JOBS?
"The jobless rate has decreased from 9.8% to 8.9% since the Nov election, I'd say the Republicans are doing something right."
Please name 1 thing the Republicans have passed or done since taking office that would have contributed to this? I am simply looking for 1 thing. Could it be because they haven't done anything and it was the Democrats actions that are finally working??
The republicans and, for that matter, the democrats, have done nothing to create jobs. The economy had already started a modest recovery and commensurate with that, as history has shown holds true, jobs follow market recovery more slowly and that is just what has happened.
Try to get into your mind, that aside from government jobs, the government has absolutely no ability to create employment for anyone.
No, disagree. The government can create an environment conducive to a recovery, and Obama did that.
We were very close to a Depression. Remember the Tea Party screams and cries of "Depression!" or at least they hoped "double dip recession!" Oh, how they prayed for the country to fail. Make Obama a one-term President was the mantra, the number one priority, and they failed. The country is stronger than them.
The President's stimulus and tax cuts helped saved the country. A larger stimulus would have done more. We saved the U.S. auto industry. That is HUGE.
Or do the extreme Tea Party types want to admit they were making up all the riots and nonsense about Obama destroying the country by creating a Depression? Can't have it both ways.
Respectable economists maintain that the stimulus package, which was started in the Bush administration and continued under the Obama administration, created or saved over a million and a half jobs. The alternative to the stimulus package would have been a major depression. Some of those jobs were government jobs, as you claim disgU, but many were not. GM jobs, for instance, which were a direct result of the government's intervention in the auto industry. Try to get that into your mind.
DOMA should never have been passed into law. It is blatantly unconstitutional. It belies nothing more than pukish politicians pandering to conservative christians who seek to legislate a specific morality into the law of the land. No way!! If we are to maintain our freedom we must not allow such things to happen; our government must remain secular and not morally discriminatory towards any individual or group provided that the individual or group do not act criminally.
If you believe that a marriage consists of a contract between one man and one woman, fine. Enter into that contract with Godspeed and my blessing and wishes for a long and happy life together. However, should a neighbor believe that marriage consists of a contract between two people of the same sex, then that contract, too, must be respected by the community, the government and the law.
You may not like it, you may find such an arrangement repulsive, in which case, don't participate in such an arrangement; but you must respect others right to go there. It is called freedom, it is called the American way, to live and let live.
My point is, really, how much time and money will Boehner, the Grim Weeper, and his cohorts spend on this flight of fancy, this will-o-the-wisp phantom, that accomplishes absolutely nothing towards resolving the really serious problems that we face as a nation. So much for cutting unnecessary spending.
And, BTW, Obama, by saying that a marriage was defined as a man/woman thing back in 2008, demonstrated that he, too, is perfectly willing to pander to a group for a vote or two. Major loss of respect there.
I really fail to understand why this bunch thinks that they need to butt into other peoples lives or why they think that they have any right to do so. Their beliefs are their own alone and it is not required that anyone else follow these beliefs nor do they have any right to try to force others to believe as they do.
Maybe if you fags quit trying to force your perversions on the rest of the world, we wouldnt have to stand up for ourselves. So, you like it up the ass? good for you, now go away sicko.
Mr. Boehner, you would spend government money to defend an istitution that does not need defending, but, where are the bills to create jobs? All of you Republicans ran on the premise that you, and only you, could re-create the jobs you lost when you were last in charge. Many of your Republican governers turned down the High Speed Rail thatwould bring thousands of jobs to their states. WHERE ARE THE JOBS YOU PROMISED YOU WOULD CREATE???
"It is regrettable that the Obama administration has opened this divisive issue at a time when Americans want their leaders to focus on jobs and the challenges facing our economy," Really, Mr Boehner. When all that you have concentrated on in your first weeks in office is trying to reapeal a Health Care law which will create jobs, slash the budget which will destroy jobs and harm the economy as a result of your efforts and legislate on abortion, gay marriage and other issues that make you look more like big brother than a job creator. Maybe you should stop paying attention to the stories about your "alleged" mistresses and start following through on your mantra of jobs, jobs, jobs.
And, by the way, are still talking about the evils of TARP which you, in tearful speach, insisted by passed for the sake of our country?
There is nothing better than watching President Obama wag the dog into a dizzying frenzy.
Seeing Boehner chase his own tail in meaningless circles and go no where is spectacularly amusing.
Thanks!
And how much is this Boehner nonsense going to cost the taxpayers??
Government should have no say in the regulation of marriage at all, other than to say, two people who commit have the same rights regardless in the eyes of the law. Whatever you want to call that commitment is up to the individual. DOMA is just another example of lawmakers representing their individual religous views (they are absolutely religous and they are also views that may or may not be accepted by any given citizen) as the LAW for the other 300,000,000 million of us. We can and should make up our own minds and be adult enough to not make up the minds of others when it comes to our personal lives. And merely being offended by the life style choices of somebody else gives you no right enforce your own views on them.
This is why I am always saying we need to define marriage as a civil union, legal union, sacred union , etc.. first. Then we can decide who wants to define what.
For me...if you don't care that Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have never married then you shouldn't care if Felix Unger and Oscar Madison want to marry.
DOMA is a discriminatory law. Why waste money defending something that is irresponsibly bias. Homosexuals deserve the right to marry as everyone else. It is funny that people like Rush Limbaugh can be married multiple times legally and without bias but two homosexuals who have loved each other forever can't. Also please don't use religion to justify right and wrong because the United States was founded on separation of Church from State.
Off the subject responding to an earlier post. Republicans, nor Democrats are responsible for the increase in jobs. This happened naturally because the recession has been over for the last two years.
We all know the republicans ALWAYS have to play the MORAL card....and that is really all it means to them...a means to gain votes and it works. Once the wolf in sheeps clothing (the one all wrapped up with righteous causes) becomes the head DICTATORS of our country, you will see them fully shed their clothing. There is only ONE cause they believe in....TAKING OVER and becoming slave masters. They have done it by chippiing away at peoples rights and liberties a few people at a time. That way...the people do not recognize it for what it really is. You demonize a cause...or maybe the cause itself holds some actual merit...and you BLAME someone...a certain group (like gays in this case...or people without jobs--the welfare group). Then they have their propaganda repeated over and over by LOUD obnoxious reporters on their very owned station...fox no-news. And you feed it to people...even in the communities...to the groups of people the ideas appeal to. Gay marriage...wont appeal to most church going folks. That wont get ALL the church going folks those. There remained those pesky Catholic independent voters still holding onto the democrat party. So you come up with another idea...fight legal abortions. That brings the Catholic vote over. So now you have the Pentecostals...AND the Catholics. They already have the Jews. But look what is happening. Already, you see two republican women saying government should stay out of the doctors office...meaning...why should a woman have to look at her baby before she kills it. Somehow, it just will never quite be illegal to get abortions all over the United States...especially if it is left up to the states. The republicans are masters at dangling the cookie in front of the babies but the babies wont quite reach the cookie. All of wolves ploys...have been done before....done before...DONE BEFORE...by the Nazi party...Hitlers party...all wrapped up in sheeps clothing. The whole idea...is to DICTATE. He was able to TAKE AWAY RIGHTS by pretending to GIVE rights. We truly are a dumb group of sheep. OPEN YOUR EYES.
Well, the right wing lunatics have been complaining thus far that the Justice Department has been doing a lousy job defending DOMA...so here is their chance to defend it...I don't want to hear all the BS later...they're going to fall flat on their as@@s with this one, in the courts, their voter base, and in public opinion...get your popcorn ready...This was a great call by Obama
Thats funny.... the Obama Justice Department. Ha. Ha and a double HAHA. The current AG does not give one damn about enforcing the laws of this country; only the ones that agree with his agenda. Hell it only took him two years to figure out that trying the gitmo folks in NYC was a bad idea. Oh thats right, Gitmo was closed as a campaign promise...right?
So, the GOP big government wants to tell me who I can marry? No, thank you. But, you gotta love GOP logic (I know, an oxymoron), We are going to save marriage by forbidding it to large groups of people. This ain't the party of brains and logic folks.
Obama's hard base -- the people who went door to door to get him elected -- have been getting cranky recently -- especially after he threw in the towel on raising taxes for the wealthy, and gave in to the Republican plan to balance the budget on the backs of the poor instead. He needs these people to have his back, so he threw them DOMA to quiet them down. He'd probably been saving it for just such a time. Doing so had practically no political downside, as the people getting upset by it were never going to vote for him anyway.
Bush did the same sort of thing with his base too. It's politics, people.
Barack Husseins Obama's choice to not defend DOMA is purely political. He is after the gay vote. Its as simple as that! BHO could care less what the majority, by a large margin, wants. This has been clearly demonstrated over and over again. See his choices (against the majority) on Border Security, Illegal Aliens, Obama Care, etc.
He campaigned on this, so why are you making it an issue? Please expand on border security and illegal aliens...
Time,
You might recall that President Obama is a Harvard educated Constitutional scholar so I have a feeling he has a clue in that area. Dropping defense of DOMA is not a gamble, it's a strategy. See marriage licenses like driving licenses are simply not under federal jurisdiction, like patent protection laws or immigration law. Marriage and divorce and driver licenses are under the jurisdiction of state law. The Constitution is pretty clear on that. So this is a double win strategy for President Obama. He can send the GOP off on a wild goose chase trying to prove their moral superiority meanwhile increasing the chances to straighten out a law that should never have been in the first place all the while he can move forward on the country's agenda of taking care of business. Distracting the GOP is going to be his national pasttime for the next year. Sit back and enjoy the show.
Wow! With everything going on in the nation and the world. Republicans are making defending marriage against the attack of the gays a national priority.
With a roughly 50% divorce rate and the ability to get a marriage license easier than a drivers license, I assume they believe that marriages are broken because one or both parties have DECIDED to turn gay.
The "red" menace of the 1950's has become the "gay" menace of the 21st century.
Sen. McCarthy (Wisconsin, oddly enough) arise from the grave and take charge.
Don't you love it- insecure people can no longer pick on blacks, and women (there are laws against that now), so obviously whose left that can not fight back against the WASP way?
President 'W' was saying he wasn't going to follow many laws AS HE WAS SIGNING THEM!
how would this law pertain to hermaphrodites?............would they have to register as one or the other gender?......how would the government investigate this...........sounds like it could get a bit invasive...or they could just outlaw hermaphrodites from marriage altogether as they are physically conflicted.
Over all why does it matter?................the government and Other people should just stay out of the love and gender dictatorship thing.
Hey, I know what....why don't we tax churches?...........I'm sorry did I change the subject?.......because if the government wants to get this deep into people's hearts and pants why do they let churches run amuck....lets get into EVERYBODIES business..............especially politicians who sleep around on their spouses, who buy sexual favors, who use their wealth and power to break the law and do immoral and unethical things ........let us use the powers of government to rule EVERYONES life.........seems only fair.....
especially when many of those who are doing the ruling are cheating on their own spouses or taking money for political favors or using their wealth and power in unethical and immoral ways.........yeah, let's let the hypocrites make the rules the rest of us have to live by................do as I say, not as I do...and keep doing.
Yeah, more government intrusion into our lives....bigger government, that is what the conservatives want, right?...........oops, their the ones who keep saying the government should get out of everyone's lives and be much much smaller....I get confused sometimes. So, who is it trying to run our most personal life choices again.....oh, my God!..........it IS the republicans. Wow....saw that coming..tee,hee.....next they will be telling what religion is the only one sanctioned by the government.....and then they will introduce a program like "no church left behind"....this ought to be good. Praise the government, praise the republicans.....what ever happened to Jesus.......oh, yeah, guy had a weakness or two--forgiveness, tolerance, love compassion, integrity.....compared to the republican right wing religion of big intrusive government this guy was a loser.
funny, I always like to side with the "loser"........never liked the pompous bullies, they were such jerks.
Dear Mr. Boehner, could you please defend our jobs first. We are much more concerned with earning a living than if two people of the same sex wish to make some sort of long term commitment to each other. I thought we were supposed to reward responsible behavior, not penalize it. Get to work!
Marriage is indefensible period. It is another holdover fantasy of the religious zealots of the 10th Century when human life span was about 35 years, and the Dark Ages, and the Inquisition were in full swing. If you got Married at 16 you had a pretty good chance of lasting it out "until death do us part". And death usually came sooner rather than later especially if you were a woman bearing children.
Today marriage makes no sense whatsoever, but we can't seem to get over these ingrained twin delusions that romantic love and soulmates actually exist. I think the government should get out of the marriage business all together and stop defending what is basically a religious belief that currently causes more harm to society than benefit. If it really worked we would all have a much better batting average than .500!
Obviously part of the fascists job creation plan.
Bonehead Boehner has more excuses for not creating JOBS! You are the worst House Speaker in decades!
You have not kept your promise to create jobs of any kind! You have no Balls!
Boehner, guess who is going to have a landslide in 2012 election if you keep this up!
We the people know! As far as that dit in Wisconsin is concerned, he has all but guaranteed the comeback of Dems in 2012! I'm laughing so hard it hurts my side!
The goons running for president are nothing but a bunch of wantabe idiots! Not one of you has spoken about clear issues. It's all about bashing our President and it makes you look like bafoons! Liars of Foxtrap gets all of you into trouble because when you lie, we the people find out and call on you for it, and then you have to backtrack your stupid pitiful remarks!
Hey wantabe Huckabee, where was your grandfather born? Or great-grandfather? Surely someone in your family came from another country like all of us! Stop the bull!
The President's slate is clean! His educational background, where he was born, in Hawaii, and played basketball, the number one sport in America! College, Harvard, community organizer, you name it, the President lead a clean life! Wrote 2 books too! Not one, but two!
I am so ashamed of these Right-wing extremist with their own skeletons in their closets! You are a bunch of liars and a gang of thieves! All you want to do is take from the middle class and give to the rich!
Signed, A Responsible Republican (Moderate)
I urge everyone to call Bohener and Canter at 202-224-3121 and tell them to STOP WASTING TAXPAYER MONEY ON THIS STUPID ISSUE THAT IS NOT CREATING JOBS!
Is Boehner that stupid not to realize that the Justice Dept has already had their attorneys look at the legal aspects of the President's decision? Come on! Use your common sense here!
I still don't see any evidence that the GOP is fighting for US jobs.