Santorum: Boehner Should Defend DOMA
The Hill reports:
One possible Republican presidential candidate is putting pressure on House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to defend in court the federal law that bans the recognition of gay marriage.
Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), a social conservative who's a dark-horse presidential candidate, said the Speaker needs to step forward after President Obama's decision to direct the Justice Department to drop its defense of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) from judicial challenges.
Santorum tweeted Friday morning:
Time for Speaker Boehner to defend DOMA http://www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/260615/house-intervention-doma-cases-ed-whelan
Obama abandoned defending DOMA, the 1990s law which allows states and the federal government to ignore same-sex marriages and civil unions in other states, in his latest move to expand the gay community's rights since taking office.
Attorney General Eric Holder said in his letter to Congress announcing the shift, though, that members of Congress could step forward to defend DOMA in court if they wish.
Boehner did not condemn Obama's move outright, though his spokesman said earlier this week that the timing was inappropriate for the president to drop its defense of DOMA.
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