Text of US HCR 25 (2011)

IV 112TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 25 Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the Obama administration’s discontinuing to defend the Defense of Marriage Act. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 3, 2011 Mrs. HARTZLER submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the Obama administration’s discontinuing to defend the Defense of Marriage Act. Whereas on February 23, 2011, President Barack Obama or- dered the Justice Department to drop its defense of a central part of the 1996 law that bars the Federal Gov- ernment from recognizing same-sex unions, the Defense of Marriage Act, and both President Obama and Attor- ney General Eric Holder concluded the law is unconstitu- tional; Whereas President Obama himself has said that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman; Whereas passed by significant majorities in both chambers of Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton, the Defense of Marriage Act has never been overturned VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:54 Mar 07, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC25.IH HC25 srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with BILLS 2 •HCON 25 IH in any Federal lawsuit challenging its constitutionality by a Federal Court, yet the Department of Justice has de- cided not to defend this act in Federal court; Whereas on the contrary, the Department of Justice is vigor- ously defending in numerous Federal courts across the country President Obama’s signature health care reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111–148), and the related Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111– 152), after these bills barely passed both chambers of Congress on party line votes, and whose critical Indi- vidual Mandate provision has been declared unconstitu- tional by, separate Federal district courts in the cases of Florida v. Department of Health and Human Services, Case No.: 3:10–cv–91–RV/EMT (N.D. Fla., Jan. 31, 2011), and Virginia ex rel. Cuccinelli v. Sebelius, No. 3:10cv188–HEH (E.D. Va., filed Dec. 13, 2010); and Whereas the vast majority of Americans believe that marriage should continue to be what it always has been—the legal and spiritual union between one man and one woman: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 1 concurring), That the Congress— 2 (1) condemns the Obama administration’s di- 3 rection that the Department of Justice should dis- 4 continue defending the Defense of Marriage Act; and 5 (2) demands that the Department of Justice 6 continue to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in 7 all instances. 8 Æ VerDate Mar 15 2010 21:54 Mar 07, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HC25.IH HC25 srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with BILLS