The AP is reporting the President Obama has come out in support of repealing the Defense of Marriage Act. He favors the passage of “the Respect for Marriage Act” which would repeal DOMA.
President Barack Obama is throwing his support behind a bill that would repeal the federal government’s ban on same-sex marriage.
The president has “long called for a legislative appeal for the so-called Defense of Marriage Act which continues to have a real impact on families,” White House spokesman Jay Carney announced Tuesday.
The president is “proud to support” the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, Carney said.
The Obama administration announced in February that it believes the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and would no longer defend it in court.
At the time, Carney said that Obama was still “grappling” with his personal view of gay marriage but has always personally opposed the Defense of Marriage Act as “unnecessary and unfair.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is one of the lead sponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act. On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is holing a hearing on the new bill, with testimony from same-sex couples.
“I think eyes have opened. More and more people across this land know people who are gay, who want to have a lasting relationship, who look at marriage as an economic agreement as well as an emotional agreement,” said Feinstein, one of 14 senators who voted against the Defense of Marriage Act.