NOM BLOG

Category Archives: Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Catholics to Join March for Marriage in Washington

CatholicPhilly.com:

Five busloads of Catholics who believe marriage is exclusively between a man and a woman are scheduled to travel to Washington, D.C., on March 26 to participate in Marriage March 2013 from the National Mall to the Supreme Court followed by a rally on the National Mall.

March 26 is the date the United States Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments to determine if California’s Proposition 8, passed by the state’s voters in 2008 to protect the sanctity of marriage, is constitutional or not.

The march is sponsored by the National Organization for Marriage, alongside a broad coalition of pro-family organizations and groups.

The archdiocesan effort is being organized by the Office for Life, Family and Laity and has been endorsed by Archbishop Charles Chaput.

You can learn more about the march at MarriageMarch.org.

National Organization for Marriage Launches Massive Phone Campaign for Marriage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 2, 2012
Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Jen Campbell (703-683-5004)


"Along with advertising and other mobilization efforts we have undertaken, which are unprecedented in their scale, we are confident that Election Day 2012 will mark a triumph for marriage and family in the United States." —Brian Brown, NOM president—

National Organization for Marriage

Washington, D.C.—The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) was founded to advance pro-marriage initiatives across the country through advocacy and grassroots mobilization. Today NOM issued the following statement on campaign 2012:

In the final days before voters go to the ballot box, the National Organization for Marriage and its partners are launching a major push to reach and mobilize 10 million voters with a positive message for marriage. The new campaign, with a budget of $500,000, involves robocalls to households in Maine, Maryland, Washington State, Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The calls feature prominent advocates for traditional marriage and family, including Dr. James Dobson, Senator Marco Rubio and former Governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. Calls will be placed in both English and Spanish, targeting voters across the political spectrum who favor retaining the definition of marriage, which has characterized society for centuries.

Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, described the telephone campaign as "the largest national mobilization of traditional marriage voters in history. Our aim is to reach 10 million voters or more. We are proud to work with state-and national-based partners in the four states that have marriage referenda on the ballot—states where we believe the polls are trending in our favor—and in three presidential swing states, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, that many pundits are surprised to find now in play.

"Even in these tough economic times," Brown said, "people know that the stability of the family is crucial and the need to preserve the institution of marriage has never been greater. These calls from leaders in public life will remind voters to go to the polls, to protect marriage, and to support public officials who will do the same. Along with advertising and other mobilization efforts we have undertaken, which are unprecedented in their scale, we are confident that Election Day 2012 will mark a triumph for marriage and family in the United States."

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To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Jen Campbell (x145), jcampbell@crcpublicrelations.com , or Elizabeth Ray (x130), eray@crcpublicrelations.com , at 703-683-5004.

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

Video: First VP of Pennsylvania's Federation of Democratic Women Won't Support Biden Because of His SSM Support

Charlie Speiring at the Washington Examiner on a new video released in anticipation of tonight's VP debate between Paul Ryan and Joe Biden:

Grassroots organization Let Freedom Ring releases a new ad criticizing Vice President Joe Biden for failing to live up to his Catholic faith by supporting same-sex marriage.

The ad features Democrat Jo Ann Nardelli, the first Vice President of the Pennsylvania State Federation of Democratic Women.

Nardelli explains that although she supported Biden in 2008, she signals disappointment that he led the charge to support same-sex marriage.

“When I heard Vice President Biden speak about same-sex marriage and I knew the platform for President Obama was same-sex marriage. I know definitely that Mama Biden would not go with,” she explains. “I as a devout Catholic could no longer uphold and stand for that platform. I had to stand up for my faith.”

She adds, “Vice President Biden, I think he sold out to the system.”

We've been informed excerpts of this video will air on the O'Reilly Factor this evening. Nardelli also includes this statement:

" I was raised in my Catholic Faith that marriage is between a man and a woman. I don’t have a problem with gays, rights to properties, or whatever these unions bring; however, it is NOT A MARRIAGE. Marriage is between a man and a woman in the Bible and I firmly believe that. Therefore, I knew I had to resign my positions, dissolve my affiliations, take a stand, and change to the Republican Party. The Republican Party’s beliefs fall more in line with my beliefs. I did not leave the Party; the Party left me!"

Philadelphia Councilman to Introduce Resolution Condemning Cathy and Chick-fil-A

The Philadelphia Daily News Philly Clout blog reports that a Philadelphia Councilman has declared that support for traditional marriage (which is actually the law in Philadelphia) is intolerance and hate:

Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy’s recent comments about gay marriage has caused quite a stir across the country and has City Councilman Jim Kenney fired-up.

... "As an American you are legally entitled to your opinion, regardless of how insensitive and intolerant it may be, but as a fellow American and an elected member of Philadelphia City Council; I am entitled to express my opinion as well. So please – take a hike and take your intolerance with you. There is no place for this type of hate in our great City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection."

And when City Council returns in September, Kenney said he will introduce a resolution condemning Cathy and the company.

PA Democrat Who Switched to GOP: Obama's SSM Support Was the Last Straw

The Daily Caller on a remarkable act of political courage:

The defection of a prominent Pennsylvania Democrat to the Republican Party is raising some eyebrows.

Jo Ann Nardelli, a state committeewoman and founding president of the Blair County Federation of Democratic Women, has switched her political affiliation to the GOP, citing her Catholic faith and President Obama’s embrace of gay marriage as reasons.

During a press conference last week, Nardelli cited President Obama’s recent announcement in support of gay marriage as a central reason for her defection, endorsed Mitt Romney for president and changed her party registration to Republican, The Altoona Mirror reported.

“As the Democratic Party has taken the stand for same-sex marriage, then I must make a stand on my faith that marriage is between a man and a woman. God’s principles for life never change. His guidelines, given in Scripture, produce fruitful lives when you follow them,” Nardelli, a pro-life Democrat for more than 40 years, said at the Blair County Courthouse.

According to Politics PA, Nardelli continued to point to her Catholic faith as a major motivator in her letter of resignation to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.

Nardelli also conducted an interview on Monday with the National Catholic Register.

Prof. Robert George's Argument on Behalf of DOMA

First Things introduces NOM co-founder Prof. Robert George's testimony:

Constitutional scholar and lawyer Robert P. George recently presented an oral argument in one of the cases considering the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, which allows each state to determine for itself the definition of marriage. The text of his argument follows this note.

In an unusual move, the Obama Department of Justice declined to defend DOMA, even as Obama has stated (for example, in a May 9 interview with ABC news) that he favors allowing states to decide the definition of marriage for themselves.

The case in which George presented the oral argument (which was in support of a written brief he filed together with Sherif Girgis and Ryan Anderson) is Cozen O’Connor, P.C. v. Tobits, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Read Prof. George's testimony here.

NOM Founding Chairman Prof. George Argues for DOMA in Pennsylvania Federal Court

NOM Founding Chairman Prof. Robert P. George is mentioned in this article defending DOMA:

The federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) came into play in a civil court case argued this week in a federal court in Pennsylvania.

Ellyn Farley was a lawyer working for a Pennsylvania-based firm before she died in 2010 of cancer. In her will, she designated her elderly mother as the beneficiary of her life insurance and retirement packages. To her lesbian partner, Jennifer Tobits, she left her Jeep, the condominium they shared, and the all the cash in her bank account.

Tobits, however, is suing Farley’s parents for the life insurance and retirement benefits, saying she is entitled to them because she and Farley had a same-sex marriage ceremony performed in Canada in 2006.

DOMA, however, means same-sex marriages performed in other countries are not recognized by federal law, including those laws that apply to retirement plans and other federal benefits. And neither Pennsylvania, where Farley’s law firm is based, nor Illinois, where the women live, have a state law redefining marriage.

...Though it’s essentially a property dispute, the case, which was argued for more than four hours Monday, brought out eight separate legal teams: One for Tobits; one for Farley’s parents; one for the law firm where Farley was employed; one each for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Frederick Douglas Foundation and Princeton University Prof. Robert George, who are defending DOMA; and one each for the Obama administration and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which are challenging it. -- CitizenLink

PA State Government Committee to Take Up Marriage Protection Amendment

Pennsylvania is in the earliest stages of introducing a marriage protection amendment which could go to the voters of Pennyslvania as early as 2013.

State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe initiated a hearing of HB 1434 this morning in the State Government Committee.

Please contact your state representatives in the Pennsylvania House and especially those on the PA State Government Committee and ask them to support the marriage protection amendment right away!

PA Family Institute: State Marriage Law Under Attack; Legislative Action Needed

From an action alert by the Pennsylvania Family Institute:

Pennsylvania’s Defense of Marriage Act is facing a constitutional challenge in Federal Court in Philadelphia. Your help is urgently needed to help keep marriage the union of one man and one woman in the state.

Attorneys for a lesbian woman who was “married” to her partner in Canada have petitioned the court to declare Pennsylvania’s marriage law to be unconstitutional. That means a single judge could, by his decision, rewrite the definition of marriage in the state to allow same-sex marriage. It was a case not unlike this one that led the high court in Iowa to legalize same-sex marriage there in 2009.

The only way to protect marriage for generations to come in Pennsylvania is a Marriage Protection Amendment...

... For the past five years, the state has considered legislation giving you the chance to vote on a marriage protection amendment, but each year the legislation has been prevented from moving forward. With this past year’s election, however, conservatives won a majority in both the state House and Senate, paving the way for the passage of marriage protection legislation in 2011.

“This court case is a real and present danger to marriage in Pennsylvania,” said Michael Geer, president of Pennsylvania Family Council. “It’s time our legislature act on a constitutional amendment to allow the people a voice on this important issue.”

Dem-Leaning Poll: PA Voters Oppose Same-Sex Marriage 52%-36%

Public Policy Polling finds [PDF] that Pennsylvania is firmly pro-marriage (the 12% undecided probably tend towards our side as well):

With public opinion stacked against them, no wonder advocates for redefining marriage are currently focusing on Pennsylvania courts.

House Advisory Group Seeks to Defend DOMA in Cozen Case

Law.com:

The number of interested parties in the same-sex marriage benefits dispute involving a deceased Cozen O'Connor partner continues to grow as a congressional committee seeks to defend the Defense of Marriage Act.

The Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the U.S. House of Representatives asked a federal judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to grant it intervenor status solely to defend Section 3 of DOMA against challenges that it violates the equal protection or substantive due process components of the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment.

... David and Joan Farley, the parents of deceased partner Sarah Ellyn Farley, are fighting with Farley's wife, Jennifer Tobits, about who should get the $41,000 or so left from Farley's profit-sharing plan. The parents argue the ERISA-qualified plan implicates federal law, meaning DOMA would not allow the term "spouse" in the plan to be considered a person of the same sex. Tobits argues that because ERISA doesn't define the term "spouse," the parties need only look to the plan itself and don't have to reach whether DOMA applies.

But in case DOMA's constitutionality is addressed, Tobits had put the DOJ and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office on notice that she would challenge the validity of the laws. So far, Pennsylvania has not responded or sought intervenor status.

PA Family Institute: Lawsuit Shows Need for Constitutional Marriage Amendment

From a recent action alert by the Pennsylvania Family Institute:

Attorneys for a lesbian woman who was “married” to her partner in Canada have petitioned the court to declare Pennsylvania’s marriage law to be unconstitutional. That means a single judge could, by his decision, rewrite the definition of marriage in the state to allow same-sex marriage. It was a case not unlike this one that led the high court in Iowa to legalize same-sex marriage there in 2009.

The only way to protect marriage for generations to come in Pennsylvania is a Marriage Protection Amendment...

... For the past five years, the state has considered legislation giving you the chance to vote on a marriage protection amendment, but each year the legislation has been prevented from moving forward. With this past year’s election, however, conservatives won a majority in both the state House and Senate, paving the way for the passage of marriage protection legislation in 2011.

New Archbishop of Philadelphia: Marriage is "The Issue Of Our Time"

Today Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver was appointed to become the new Archbishop of Philadelphia. In a wide-ranging interview with the journalist John Allen, he is asked about his views on gay marriage:

This is the issue of our time. The church understands marriage as a unique relationship, with a unique definition, which is the faithful love of a man and a woman for each other, permanent, and for the sake of children. As children, if we don't know that our parents love one another, our lives are very unstable. That's why I think every child deserves a family where the father loves the mother, and the mother loves the father. For us to redefine marriage as anything else undermines that notion. I think it's very important that the church keep insisting on this.

It's also important to say that we're not against gay people. What we're doing here is promoting marriage and the meaning of marriage, not condemning others. The church does believe that human sexuality has a meaning in itself, that it's about love and procreation. Any other sexual relationship is contrary to the Gospel, and so a relationship between two people of the same sex is not in line with the teachings of the church and the teachings of the Gospel, and is therefore wrong. That said, we should always respect people who do things contrary to the Gospel. We live in a society where different ways of life are accepted by the general community, and it's important for us to live in a way that's not hostile to people.

We have a duty as Catholics, however, to speak clearly about God's plan for human happiness. Part of that plan is traditional, faithful, Catholic/Christian marriage.

Protecting Marriage in Pennsylvania

OneNewsNow reports:

Advocates for traditional marriage are working to let Pennsylvania voters decide how the state should define marriage.

Pennsylvania State Representative Daryl Metcalfe (R) has introduced the Marriage Protection Amendment, which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman and bans other forms of "marriage," including civil unions and domestic partnerships.

 

PA Rep. Metcalfe Introduces Marriage Amendment

From Pennsylvania House State Government Committee Chairman (and State Representative) Daryl Metcalfe's official press release:

[We] announced today the introduction of a Constitutional amendment to allow the citizens of Pennsylvania to precisely define marriage as a union between one man and one woman.“The institution of traditional marriage has never been under greater attack,” said Metcalfe.  “This not only includes the special interests who want to permanently redefine marriage, but unfortunately the executive branch and the federal Department of Justice who have blatantly and recklessly refused to uphold and defend its Constitutionality.  Once again, it falls to the responsibility of state lawmakers to restore the rule of law and carry out the will of the people.”

Once House Bill 1434 is approved in two consecutive sessions of the General Assembly, Pennsylvanians would then have the choice, through voter referendum, to amend the state Constitution to include a provision containing the following language:

“Marriage is the legal union of only one man and one woman as husband and wife and no other legal union that is treated as marriage or the substantial equivalent thereof shall be valid or recognized.”

The language contained in Metcalfe’s legislation is modeled after Florida’s marriage protection amendment, which was approved by more than 60 percent of Florida voters in 2008. The amendment was also unanimously ruled Constitutional by the Florida Supreme Court, after being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

To date, voters in 30 states have ratified similar amendments to their state constitutions.

“Pennsylvania voters deserve the opportunity to do the same,” Metcalfe said. “The definition of marriage as ‘the union of one man and one woman,’ defended and upheld by this legislation, is the traditional definition of marriage that has been recognized and accepted throughout history and the world for centuries. It should not be the Obama administration’s Department of Justice and the executive branch bureaucrats that decide this critical issue for our Commonwealth, but rather the voters.”

More progress!