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As Congress continues its debate over how America’s tax dollars should be best used, lawmakers are arguing over a chunk of a half-million dollars intended to defend a law that about half of taxpayers don’t think is worth defending: the federal statute that deems same-sex marriage unconstitutional in the eyes of the U.S. government.
According to a contract provided by Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi’s office, the House Administration Committee and the General Counsel entered into an agreement on April 14th with former Solicitor General Paul Clement to act as the House’s lawyer in cases involving the Defense of Marriage Act.
The price tag on the contract: About $520/hour with a cap of $500,000 on legal charges.
In February, the White House delivered a surprising victory to gay rights activists when President Barack Obama directed the Department of Justice to abandon its defense of the act because, the administration argued, a part of the law violates the constitution.
But House Speaker John Boehner, calling that decision “regrettable” and politically divisive, argued in March that “the constitutionality of this law should be determined by courts – not by the President unilaterally.” He announced then that the House would take up the legal responsibilities of defending the law in the absence of DOJ legal staff.
He’d also like DOJ to pick up the tab.
“Obviously, DOJ’s decision results in DOJ no longer needing the funds it would have otherwise expended defending the constitutionality of DOMA,” Boehner wrote in a letter to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi asking her to join in his efforts to request the funds from the agency. “It is my intent that those funds be diverted to the House for reimbursement of any costs incurred by and associated with the House, and not DOJ, defending DOMA.”
Pelosi responded by requesting the details of the cost of outside counsel, resulting in the publication of the $500,000 figure released today.
Attorney General Eric Holder has previously argued that the administration’s decision to stop defending DOMA does not mean that a pot of saved money is now available in DOJ’s coffers.
“I'm not sure we save any money, frankly,” Holder said at a hearing in March. “The people who would be defending the statute, were we to do that, are career employees of the Department of Justice, who will not be spending their time doing that; they will be spending their time doing other things. I'm not sure that I see any savings as a result of the decision that I announced with the president.”
The law itself, which was enacted in 1996, appears to be losing popularity. According to a new CNN Poll, 51% of Americans believe same-sex marriages should be “recognized by the law as valid.” That’s a 7% jump since this question was asked in April of 2009.
Yesterday, Clement and his team filed a “Motion to Intervene” in their first case, Windsor v. United States, on behalf of the House.
In that case, the widow of a same-sex partner is suing to retrieve estate taxes she owed when the federal government did not recognize her marriage.
Edith Windsor and her now-deceased partner, Thea Spyer were legally married in Canada in 2007. That marriage was recognized by their home state of New York.
But when Spyer died, because her marriage was not recognized under DOMA, Windsor owed taxes on the estate totaling $363,053 – taxes that would not have been levied had the couple been married in the eyes of the federal government.
Windsor’s case challenges the constitutionality of DOMA and simply put, asks the government to give her the money back.
According to court documents, the team led by Clement is scheduled to make its first appearance before a judge on May 9th 2011.
Leave a Comment:
Heh,
Well $500,000 is pretty cheap blood money to hire a lawyer to keep a segment of our population disenfranchised. I must commend the Republicans in the House of Representatives. If only $500,000 had been spent by our government on a really good lawyer in the 1970's we might not have equality for African Americans today. Imagine how much better our society would be today!
(all sarcasm intended)
I'm sure your stupidity of equating civil rights for people of color to gay marraige was intended too.
Actually Thurid the "disenfranchised" people that you talk about have the SAME rights as everyone else. Any man can marry any willing woman and any woman can marry any willing man.
Why is it that you think that the 3% segment of our population that CHOOSES to live a different sexual lifestyle should have EXTRA rights?
Holly ... . You people are nuts.
I'm a straight male, married eight years. If I was unable to marry my wife because the majority stated it was not right, and rather that I had to marry a same sex partner, I'd go absolutely ballistic. Put yourself in the other person's shoes and analyze your thoughts before spewing them onto a public forum.
Also, by your stupendous logic, interracial marriage would still be illegal. They have the same right so marry a person of their same color after all. Same with interfaith marriages. No one is forcing you, your church, your kids, etc to condone, be or approve of gays. This segment of the population is just asking that state sanctioned discrimination isn't used against them.
Does anyone realize that $500,000 will only cover about a 962 hours or one lawyer for about 6 months of work. These cases will take years to defend this is just the beginning. This is just another case of corporate welfare, an excuse to give millions of dollars to there friends.
MSNBC: Price tag on House defense of DOMA: only $500,000
And, this is Obama and MSNBC's arguement to the American people.... in other words they are saying...
"Get over it, America....Considering the BILLIONS of dollars that we here in Washington are used to blowing.... THIS is NOTHING !"
So Joe, are you saying you think we should do away with OSHA, the Dep't of Labor, Social Security and Medicare?
Are you out of your mind? I don't know what you do for a living but I am sure that OSHA has helped to protect you in one way or another.
Good. Spend what you have too. Dobamba won't support laws he swore too, so someone has too.
Joe,
that's a ridiculous statement. What policies has the GOP led house passed that would in ANY way spur job growth? There have been ZERO bills out of this congress that do ANYTHING to spur growth.
they're trying to cut spending and regulations...but you democrats are trying to keep people unemployed and dependent.
EVERY contitutional scholar with half a brain knows that this law will be deemed unconstituional eventually and public opinion is largely in favor of some form of gay marraige/union....why in the HELL would we spend 500,000 dollars to defend DOMA...thats right because TEA PARTIERS mask a social agenda with the false cry of fiscal responsability.
I say if gay/lesbian people want to get married and work hard at making a relationship work(which is REALLLY HARRRD) than let them. EQUAL PROTECTION PEOPLE....IT APPLIES TO EVERYONE
how about that equal protection for polygamists and pedophiles? theirs is just another sexual orientation too.
Hey Captain Ignorance
If you stop watching Adolf Beck and Benito Hannity for five minutes and pick up a book you will realize that there is a difference between sexual deviance and orientation. Pedophilia and polygamy are also violations of law. Homosexualtiy is NOT. They are Americans same as you and are entitled to the same rights. Just because your ass backwards ignorant religious beleifs don't allow you to accept other people (which is what our nation is built on) of different views or orientations does not mean it should be law. The Anti -gay movement is a religious movement that goes hand in hand wiith the Anti -intellectual movement (which you are obviously part of). Your religious beleifs are yours to keep but they have NO PLACE IN LAW. So if you want to come at me come at me with facts legal precedent that supports your viewpoint in other words if you want to point a gun make sure it is filled with more than gummybears you ignoramous.
hey moron
homosexuality used to be illegal too...get a clue.
aren't polygamists and pedophiles americans too?
you fascist gays sure don't want rights for those who disagree...its what gay marriage is all about.
oh and our laws are rooted in religous beliefs...I'm sure you want laws that match your religous beliefs...try north korea.
fascist.
Let me understand here:
1. I want to expand rights to people-where you want to deny them
2. I say you can have a religious beleif just don't force it on others-where you want your religious beleif as law
3. I look at the rule of law-where you look at the bible and Glennn Beck
4. I want equal protection of law-where you want to segragate a group of lawbiding citizens and deny them equal protection because you find there lifestyle not in accordance with your beleifs (which you are allowed to have by the way in my beleif)
5. I look at a homosexual and see an American with a different lifestyle-where you look at them and see a pediphile and a sexual deviant (once agian that is you RELIGIOUS background)
6. I know what a ignorant facist moron is and can define it-where as you get to see one in the mirror every day
I DO NOT ADVOCATE THE DENIAL OF YOUR RIGHTS TO YOU RELIGIOUS/MORAL BELEIFS JOE ....YOU CAN HAVE THEM NO MATTER HOW CLOSED MINDED YOU ARE....KEEP SAYING IT OVER AND OVER AND YOU PROVE MY POINT ABOUT YOU OVER AND OVER.
1) you want to deny rights to people who disagree with the gay agenda
2) you want to impose your beliefs upon others....and I haven't used a religious reason to oppose gay marriage, you just ASSume religious motives
3) you look at the laws as you want them, not as they are
4) you don't want equal protection...you want special rights for gays
5) you see them as being more equal than the rest of us.
6) did you starch your brown shirt and polish your jack-boots today you fascist stooge?
you can repeat your lies and BS, but gay marriage will restrict religious liberty and freedom of speech...but then thats what fascists like you want
oh and ducky, your anti-christian bigotry and hatred is showing.
Maybe DUCKY should move to Seattle, where they are requiring Schools to call "Easter Eggs" ..........."Spring Spheres"!
And Christmas trees.........."Holiday trees".
Our American Heritage is going down the tube from the PC freaks and the minorities!
(or maybe he could take a little trip to MECCA?)
WOW...ignorance is bliss and it is obvious
in your case ignorance is hatred and bitterness.
People need to chill out. I myself don't care if two men or two women want to marry each other. Please mind you own business.
tell that to the lesbians who sued that doctor in CA because he wouldn't artificially inseminate them...he lost his freedom of religion and speech in that case...
Actually the doctor violated his hypocratic oath and his board directives of his state...that is why he got sued ...he did not lose his freedom of religion or speech...you violate the 1st amendment when you force your beleifs on others and withhold service due to that beleif. ANY constitutional scholar will tell you that. I am a staight right leaning independent and what scares us about the TEA PARTY/Republicans is your stance on moral issues...our problems are fiscal not moral lets solve that then we can debate the social agenda garbage that has no place in politics.
no he didn't. it was a voluntary procedure. he did lose his freedom of speech and religion according to the CA supreme court.
The California Supreme Court today ruled unanimously that doctors cannot cite
their religious beliefs as grounds to deny gay and lesbian patients medical
care.
Justice Joyce Kennard ruled that two Christian fertility doctors who refused
to artificially inseminate a lesbian couple cannot claim a free speech or
religious exemption from California's anti-discrimination law.
The ruling extends a state law barring sexual orientation-based
discrimination to the medical profession.
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5604598&page=1
so if you cannot practice your religious beliefs in your own business, what freedom do you have?
oh yeah you 'tolerant' ones have no problem with depriving the rights of those you disagree with
get a clue, all of our fiscal issue stem from social issues...war on poverty? SS medicare? social issues....
If you operate your business in the public eye you are legally bound to notify people that you will not perform certain medical practices due to relegious or moral obligations. That was also part of the ruling by the way and that is also federal law cited in the consumer protection act (which applies to medical practices as well if they want to call themselves a business). "we have the right to refuse service" which doctors don't do but will now be legally required to do so.
My point was if you read correctly that the government has no place making a moral judgement only legal. Your religious beleifs are yours and yours alone...KEEP THEM TO YOURSELF!!!
The lesbian couple should have just went to another clinic that would have done it.
get a clue, the government always makes moral judgements, its what underpins all our laws.
the doctor had his rights stripped away...so the gays have more rights than the doctor....some pigs are more equal than others.
why is your moral and religious beliefs superior to mine?
this is what gay marriage is all about stripping the rights of anyone to disagree with them.
Joe, Mind your own BUSINESS. It's easy.
tell that to your gay allies.
Job1: Christian Teabags are always interested in the goings-on in same-sex bedrooms. Why? Who knows. But it's certainly a fact.
yeah right...from the people who wear their sexuality on their sleeves so EVERYONE knows it...and they never cease to remind people about their sexual preference..
laughable.
Joe: Yeah... cuz straights never brag about their own sexuality. Ever see a beer ad or pick up a copy of Sports Illustrated? Puh-leeeeaze!
you gays have never grown out of your pre-teen years...its all you think about...as you just proved.
Joe: But... you're straight and it seems to me that you think about gay sex a LOT more than I ever do. Why is that?
sounds like wishful thinking on your part.
Butterfly mage... love the message but your handle is pretty lame. sorry.
Joe. I'm straight, and its hard to see when its "the norm" but we straight people wear our sexuality on our sleeves waaay more than any gay couple I know. Yes, there are some truly flaming guys out there, but compared to straight hyper-sexualization and constant media exposure, it pales in comparison. However, since you are desensitized and used to it you don't realize how pervasive it really is.
Regardless, get a grip and don't sweat it. "The gays" arn't out to get you and steal your children at night. Those are just christian fairy-tales.
Don't worry... the Tea Party Christians will be happy to slash some social program for the elderly or disadvantaged children so they can prop up their useless, Bible-based hate agenda.
as opposed to your hate-filled fascist agenda?
obama has a pain pill for useless eaters like you...
Joe, get your facts. You are way off base.
Joe: And my hate-filled agenda is?
Yeah... letting two people of the same gender who love each other have the same civil protections as two people of opposite gender who love each other is *SO* hateful.
Job: didn't obama say he wanted to give the old people a pain pill? hmmm?
butterfly: pushing gay marriage is a hate-filled agenda designed to eliminate the religious liberty and freedom of speech of christians who disagree...we all know you don't have the guts to after muslims.
why limit it to 2? how hateful of you.
Joe: You can live with that lie you just told yourself? News flash: churches don't marry people. The government does. It's called a marriage license. Millions of non-Christians get married at courthouses every year and it has nothing to do with religious liberty or freedom of speech.
butterfly: you sure want to take away rights from christians though.
get a clue, it has everything to do with squelching the rights of those who disagree.
marriage is between a man and a woman...always has been....and when its not, as in the netherlands, the children end up suffering the most...but hey vulnerable children is what people like you want....gotta get new recruits...
God made Roosters & Hens!
Roosters and Roosters cannot produce an egg.......get it?
Joe: Marriage has not been about man and woman. If you read your Bible, you will realize that traditional marriage was man and woman and woman and woman and woman and woman -- plus however many concubines you could afford to keep fed and clothed.
No same-sex marriage bill has EVER been written that would force a church (or any religious institution) to perform same-sex weddings. We're talking about SECULAR law. America is not a theocracy. Our leader is "president" not "pope", not "caliph", not "reverend".
Patty: So, by your definition of marriage, we shouldn't allow infertile couples to marry. Nor should elderly couples bearing child-bearing years to marry. That sounds very compassionate.
actually if you read the bible, you'd know that from the beginning it was for a man and a woman. polygamy was never sanctioned...it was just reported. but if you actually read the bible you would know that.
same sex marriage will restrict the rights of people like that doctor in CA though...get a clue...or the catholic charities in MA who were driven out of the adoption business by the gays...
Chai R. Feldblum, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center and a proponent of same-sex marriage, agrees that permitting gay couples equal access to civil marriage will inevitably burden the religious liberty of those religiously opposed.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/10/us/10beliefs.html
Joe: What you said was a lie. Or perhaps you believe a lie uttered by a member of the Religious Right. But hey, aren't you and your ilk supposed to be getting your bags packed for the "Rapture" that's supposed to give you Christians an elevator to Heaven on May 21st?
butterfly: you're the liar. post your proof of my lies...you can't.
may 21st? what are you talking about?
no surprise you support a fascist agenda.
Joe: If anything, I lean more towards socialism than fascism. But I guess to you don't know the difference between those concepts.
LOL fascism is a form of socialism...but then you're a democrat, you're not supposed to think for yourself...
nazi = national SOCIALIST german workers party....get a clue
oh and no surprise you couldn't back up your lies....
Joe: Where'd you learn that from? Glenn Beck? Socialism and Fascism are at opposite ends of the political spectrum. It's like saying being Republican and Democrat are really the same thing.
butterfly: its rather obvious all you can do is post talking points. read the nazi party platform...sounds a lot like the democrat platform
try history 101.
Joe: Yeah... Cuz it's the Democrats that are eroding the separation of Church and State. I didn't know Huckabee was a Democrat (you know, the guy running for president who said that non-Christians should be converted to Christianity at gunpoint)? It's the Democrats that are trying to make miscarriage a felony offense. Right.
What will you do now that Glenn Beck is off the air?
you should get back on your meds and take your tin-foil off.
oh and separation of church and state are in the SOVIET constitution...LOL
Of course Pelosi has NO problem spending 1/2 BILLION Dollars of taxpayer money.......afterall, she has her fat $18,000.00 per month office in *SAN FRANCISCO*!
Duh!
She's trying to make up for the millions we're saving after she lost her Private Jet w/caviar and brandy and chocolate strawberries!
BTW.........Thank you, John Boehner for flying Commerical and giving a dam about the budget!
Joe and Patty
ANTI -CHRISTIAN is the last thing you could call me ...I am a pastor of a large church and the truth of the bible is that Jesus accepted all people ...ALL PEOPLE...no one is passing judgement on you just disagreeing with you yet you are passing judgement on a group of people that you know nothing about ...this is the definition of ignorance. Christianity is acceptance and nothing short of it. I have homosexuals in my church and those who do not accept it have left but most accept it. They are individuals not a group with an agenda and to be accepting is christian and to turn people away due to your own hang ups is as ANTI-Christian as you can get. Don't use christianity as a way to uphold viewpoints that spew hate ...that is what has turned people from the church.
oh sure you're a pastor...of a bunch of hate-filled lying lunatics obviously...
duckyone
Hey Captain Ignorance
my how 'christian' of you. you're a typical intolerant brown-shirted fascist who wants to elminate the freedom of speech for those who disagree with you.
you may want to take the log out of your eye before you take the spec out of another's
and stop lying about christianity. you obviously know nothing about it.
Duck: bless you for upholding Christ's message of love, inclusion, and peace.
what 'christ' are you all talking about? the one who said 'go and sin no more'?
apparently not.
or who said this
Matthew 19:
4 "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female, 5 and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'a]" class="footnote">[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate."
Oh and patty it is not Easter and Christmas are not part of American Heritage that is being destroyed the term you are looking for is Christian Hollidays...these are not American Hollidays being that most of the world celebrates them making them a shared worlwide Christian Heritage...no one is going after Thanksgiving or 4th of July (which are AMERICAN Hollidays and part of our Heritage). Hate to correct you but when I see the Anti-intelectuals make mistakes I see it as my Job as an intelectual to correct them.
I agree it is dumb to change the names of traditional Holliday terms and traditions but to equate that to the legal rights of people is being small minded. They said the same thing when integration happened...that it would destroy the fabric of American life...I am still waiting for that racial fabric to come apart. They will allow gay marraige and it Will NOT BE THE END OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD AS WE KNOW IT!
you're the pastor of a large church? oh I sure hope not...but then we're living in laodicea aren't we now?
oh sure Jesus accepted all people, but He didn't bless their sin like you do.
I'm not passing judgement on anyone, and for a pastor you sure do call a lot of names, you really are hate-filled. Christianity is not 'acceptance' its REPENTANCE...maybe you've heard of the term?
I actually haven't used christianity yet you keep repeating the sames lies...my how 'christian' of you.
you're a poser. ie a liar.
gay marriage will be the end of religious liberty for christians...no surprise a fascist like you supports it.
Joe: Just like how ending the ban on interracial marriage ended Christianity, right?
interracial marriage is between a man and a woman....and of course christians were the ones who ended slavery and fought for civil rights.
since you're saying homosexuality is inborn, then isn't pedophilia? shouldn't they have the same 'rights'??
Joe: When you read your Bible, are you careful to never eat pork or shellfish? Do you make sure you never attend church if you have a skin rash? Do you make sure your wife stays home when she's on her period? Would you be willing to murder your daughter if she had premarital sex? If she got raped, would you tell her to marry her assailant? Those are all BIBLE commands. If you're going to harp about homosexuality, I hope you're obeying ALL the laws.
Besides, the word "homosexual" is a pretty recent word. The actual Bible passage forbids a man from lying down with a man. So technically two straight men who share a hotel room on a business trip or two straight men who share a tent on a hunting trip should also be put to death. But hey, according to the Bible, lesbian sex is 100% permitted! Way to go for consistency!
butterfly: do you anything else but talking points? just laughable.....Jesus declared all food clean..I'm sure you knew that...right?? LOL
please. you do know the law no longer applies RIGHT? Jesus fulfilled it. get a clue.
try reading Romans 1...clueless.
26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
so are you ignorant or a liar?
oh and I notice you couldn't answer my question about pedophilia....no surprise there.
Joe: You might not have noticed, but 29% of America is NOT Christian. For me, you might as well quote a passage from Tolkien's "Silmarillion" as quote scripture. If I want to read a work of fiction, there are much better choices than the Bible.
Besides, the "declaring unclean food clean" story happened in a vision. Jesus wasn't present for that particular encounter with Paul. Likewise, Paul was an assassin and murderer in the employ of the Pharisees. I don't generally take moral advice from contract-killers.
(Waiting for the next chorus of Joe shrieking "Liar... Liar!!!" with an increasingly shrill pitch and face getting purplish-red with impotent rage)
butterfly: again you switch the subject...too funny first you lie about the bible, then you say it doesn't matter...so why did you try quoting from it? oh I know one lie didn't work, so its on to another!!
Paul wrote most of the new testament...the Lord is very forgiving to those who want to be forgiven.
you must be masochistic to keep making such a fool of yourself.
Does he want to put is money where his mouth is? Healthcare (that's right, it's not Obamacare) is the law of the land yet I do not see him defending that.
Here we go again, the "Righties," and their relentless ranting and raving over DOMA and then turn around and spend half a million bucks on something the government should keep their damn noses out of in the first place. Just what the hell do you Righties and Republicants want anyway? Do you really know? I think not. Time to move on, get smart and let people live their lives as they wish and forget this "childish" sniveling and bickering over something that's none of your damn business in the first place. You people against same sex marriages are all SICK!
For all of you who are so opposed to gay marriage ---- LISTEN UP ---- I have a perfect solution to your concerns. My solution requires NO government money, NO government regulations and NO additional legislation. My solution is this:
If you are opposed to gay marriage, DON'T MARRY A GAY PERSON.