Dear Friends of Marriage,
Late Wednesday night, the Senate went on record on marriage, rejecting an amendment introduced by Utah Senator Bob Bennett and refusing to block same-sex marriage in our nation's capital by a vote of 59-36.
All but two of the 38 Republican senators present voted for the Bennett amendment, while all 57 Democrats voted to block the measure (as they did every amendment to the health care reconciliation bill proposed last night). The amendment would have suspended the DC same-sex marriage law pending a referendum allowing DC voters to resolve the question.
Ironically, the only two Republicans to join with the Democrats in opposing the amendment were Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, where just six months ago voters used the referendum process to reject a same-sex marriage bill passed by the Maine legislature.
Fifty-nine U.S. Senators are now on record allowing same-sex marriage in our nation's capital and refusing to protect the Charter rights of District residents.
Although disappointing, this outcome was not unexpected, and we are grateful for the hard work of Senator Bob Bennett of Utah, and of the Senate GOP leadership, in gaining the floor vote and putting the entire Senate on record on marriage. We're optimistic that the Supreme Court will ultimately vindicate the rights of DC residents to vote on an initiative on same-sex marriage, but today it's important that our voices continue to be heard in Washington.
Let your senators know you're watching their vote! Send your message today!
We've set up an online action center that will allow you to send letters to your senators based on their vote. Those who voted to protect marriage in the District will receive a thank-you letter urging them to stand strong, while those who refused to protect marriage will be reminded that you care about marriage and will remember their vote on this amendment.
Thank you for all you do to protect marriage. Please forward this message to friends and family who can join us in making an impact in Washington.
Faithfully,
Brian S. BrownExecutive Director
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
bbrown@nationformarriage.org
5 Comments
This is unfortunate. DC should have the right to vote on this issue. Residents always call their home the land of taxation with out representation.
I really can't get my head around the concept of your entitlement to decide someone Else's marriage, don't you honestly have nothing better to do? Have a little empathy and try to imagine this, if the roles were reversed and we were voting on Christians ability to marry.
Ben, this isn't about your ability to marry. You already have that. It's not about Christians, or heathens, gays or straights, it's simply about the definition of marriage. Marriage is between a man and a woman, for reasons independent of your classifications. You and I have the same right to marry, regardless of your real, actual, or perceived orientation or sexual habits.
TC so, if I am reading this correctly you would recommend that a Gay man or woman marry someone from the opposite sex regardless of love just to satisfy YOUR (or someone elses) beliefs? Curious, who wins and loses in this scenerio? hmmm father leaves after having children to pursue his real love after maybe 15 years leaving the mother without a partner, robbing her of finder her true love for life? Or breaking up the family leaving the kids in a single parent household? Maybe, just maybe the better thing to do is let adults marry adults whom they truly love and let that relationship grow into a true committed loving family without lies.
Richard, you have the right, you don't have to use it. Some people do, some people don't. That's your choice. Your argument rests on the idea that you are denied a right. You are not denied a right. Like it or not, we all have the same rights.