Breaking: DOMA Will “Not Be Inexpensive” To Defend In Court
U.S. House of Representatives General Counsel Kerry Kirchner was quoted today as saying that DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act already found by federal judges to be unconstitutional, would “not be inexpensive” to defend, according to a source, and reported by TPM’s Brian Beutler.
House Republican Leader Eric Cantor issued a statement that, in part, authorizes — without a cap of any sort on cost — the House General Counsel to “retain counsel to conduct such litigation on behalf of BLAG (the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group.)
Read: “DOMA: House Republicans Win BLAG Vote, Will Defend Law In Court“
The statement, copied below, was widely distributed by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who is opposed to defending the 1996 law in court.
TPM also reports, “Mr. Kirchner noted that there are currently at least 10 cases and he does not have the in-house resources to deal with that many cases as he has a staff of five with one lawyer currently on maternity leave.
“Mr. Kirchner said he believed the House intervention in the DOMA case would take a minimum of 18 months. Clearly, this could go on for years before SCOTUS hears one of these cases.
“Mr. Kirchner also laid out that the Reagan Administration chose to no longer defend 5 laws in the 1980s. Clearly, the Republicans were fine with a Republican President choosing not to defend statutes passed by the Congress.”
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.