Response from Senator Casey on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)

 

Below is an  e-mail letter I received from Senator Bob Casey in response to a letter I sent him asking him to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act.  Sadly, he has forgotten his roots and his faith and decided to become "politically correct" in order to stay in office.  We need to remember this when his term is up and he runs again for office.  I suggest everyone go to his website and let him know just how you feel about the position he has taken on this issue. 

Dear Mrs. Dowling,

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about same-sex marriage. I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.  

As stated in the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), enacted in 1996, federal law does not currently recognize same-sex marriages. In addition, 31 states have enacted state constitutional amendments defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Other states, including Pennsylvania, have laws establishing same-sex unions as a violation of state public policy. In recent years, a number of states have legalized same-sex marriage.

Currently, twelve states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage as a result of a combination of state court rulings, legislative action, and ballot measures. In the 2010 Census, more than 130,000 same-sex households reported themselves as married. On March 16, 2011, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California introduced the Respect for Marriage Act of 2011, which would repeal DOMA and allow for federal recognition of marriages recognized by states. This legislation has not been reintroduced in the 113th Congress, which began on January 3, 2013.

When the Respect for Marriage Act was introduced and debated in the Senate in 2011, I began to focus on the issue of same-sex marriage much more intensely than I had before. In the past, I have supported civil unions. I also strongly supported the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT), was a leading co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), and had stated publicly that I opposed efforts to enact constitutional prohibitions on same-sex marriage.

In the six years I have been in the Senate, there have not been any floor votes to repeal DOMA or to legalize same-sex marriage. Both questions have now been argued before the Supreme Court and are being debated across our country. After much deliberation and after reviewing the legal, public policy, and civil rights questions presented, I support marriage equality for same-sex couples and believe that DOMA should be repealed. As part of my consideration of these issues, I read letters written to me by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Pennsylvanians and their families. These letters included deeply personal statements from people across our Commonwealth and the questions they posed challenged me directly. As a Senator and as a citizen, I can no longer in good conscience take a position that denies Pennsylvania families the full measure of equality and respect.

I understand that many Americans of good will have strong feelings on both sides of this issue. As a supporter of religious freedom, I support same-sex marriage as a secular institution. No religious institution should be required to confer religious or sacramental approval contrary to the tenets of its faith. I also believe elected public officials have an abiding obligation to refrain from demonizing and dividing people for partisan or political gain. Rather, elected officials from both sides of the aisle should come together and find areas of agreement to do what is best for the country. Please be assured that should legislation related to this issue come before the full Senate for consideration, I will have your views in mind.  

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.  

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov. I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator