defense-of-marriage-act

Bill Clinton Calls the Anti-Gay Marriage Act He Signed Into Law Unconstitutional

Taylor Berman · 03/07/13 09:27PM

In an op-ed published Thursday evening in the Washington Post, former president Bill Clinton announced his opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act, which he signed into law in 1996. Clinton defended his initial support of the bill, saying that, when it was passed, there were no states that recognized same-sex marriage. At the time, Clinton said the bill seemed like the best option to prevent a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

Jon Stewart Rips Rick Santorum, President Obama Over Gay Marriage

Matt Cherette · 08/17/11 11:02PM

On tonight's Daily Show, Jon Stewart had gay marriage on the mind. Stewart started off by mocking Rick Santorum for the lame analogies he turns to whenever he's asked to explain why he's against same-sex marriage. Stewart's focus then shifted to President Obama's apparent flip-flop on the legality of the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act. "Ah, the best of both worlds!" said Stewart. "The administration won't defend the indefensible—they will, however, enforce the indefensible."

Obama Endorses 'Respect for Marriage' Act

Jim Newell · 07/19/11 02:40PM

White House press secretary Jay Carney broke a bit of news in today's briefing: President Obama publicly supports the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal all three sections of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. Not really shocking, since he's been against DOMA since his earliest days on the campaign trail, but this endorsement of the actual repeal bill will help draw attention to the Senate hearing on it that's scheduled for tomorrow.

Boehner's Law Firm Drops DOMA Defense

Jim Newell · 04/25/11 11:52AM

After the Obama administration announced it wouldn't defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court, House Republicans decided to take charge instead. John Boehner hired lawyer and ex-Solicitor General Paul Clement of the firm King and Spaulding to defend it on behalf of the House Republicans at the taxpayer funded rate of $520 per hour. But this morning King and Spaulding dropped the terribly unpopular case, and Paul Clement quit the firm to defend DOMA on his own.