New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on
Wednesday criticized a Supreme Court ruling striking down the Defense
of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prohibited federal agencies from
recognizing the legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
Appearing on local radio, Christie, a
former federal prosecutor and a possible 2016 GOP presidential
candidate, called the decision an example of “judicial supremacy.”
“I don't think the ruling was
appropriate,” Christie said. “I think it was wrong.”
Christie criticized the decision, which
was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy.
“I thought that Justice Kennedy's
opinion was, in many respects, incredibly insulting to those people,
340-some members of Congress who voted for the Defense of Marriage
Act, and Bill Clinton.”
“He basically said that the only
reason to pass that bill was to demean people. That's a heck of a
thing to say about Bill Clinton and about the Republican Congress
back in the 90s. And it's just another example of judicial
supremacy, rather than having the government run by the people we
actually vote for,” he added.
New Jersey currently recognizes gay
couples with civil unions. Last year, Christie vetoed a gay marriage
bill approved by the Democrat-controlled Legislature and said that
the issue should be put to a popular vote.
“I've made it very clear since 2009
that I believe that marriage should be between one man and one
woman,” Christie said. “I've said that, I ran on that, I've said
it consistently. That doesn't mean, in any way shape or form, that I
have anything against folks who are homosexual. In fact, I've said I
believe people are born that way. I don't believe it’s a choice …
you were born with your sexual preference. But I believe that the
institution of marriage for 2,000 years has been between a man and a
woman.” (The video is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)