Why Did Clinton Sign DOMA Thirteen Years Ago?
Thirteen years ago today, then-president Bill Clinton signed into law DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA essentially serves two purposes: it prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, and it allows the states to choose to not recognize same-sex marriages.
Recently, though, Clinton “recanted,” saying, “Thirteen years later, the fabric of our country has changed, and so should this policy.” He claimed DOMA served another purpose: it stopped the Right from passing a Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. A “least of all possible evils” choice.
Rex Wockner reports Clinton saying,
“The reason I signed DOMA was – and I said when I signed it – that I thought the question of whether gays should marry should be left up to states and to religious organizations, and if any church or other religious body wanted to recognize gay marriage, they ought to,” he said. “We were attempting at the time, in a very reactionary Congress, to head off an attempt to send a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage to the states. And if you look at the 11 referenda much later – in 2004, in the election – which the Republicans put on the ballot to try to get the base vote for President Bush up, I think it’s obvious that something had to be done to try to keep the Republican Congress from presenting that. The president doesn’t even get to veto that. The Congress can refer constitutional amendments to the states. I didn’t like signing DOMA…”
That said, it’s time to repeal DOMA.
DOMA has done nothing it set out to do. It hasn’t “protected” marriage: straight marriage has declined 20% since it was signed into law.
Contact your lawmaker. Tell them you want them to support The Respect for Marriage Act.