House Majority Leader Eric Cantor on
Monday promised action by Friday to defend the Defense of Marriage
Act (DOMA).
Cantor said that he agrees with House
Speaker John Boehner's pledge to stand by the law now that President
Barack Obama has said that he believes parts of it are
unconstitutional. Cantor refused to give any details, instructing
reporters to check back on Friday.
“I stand by [Boehner's] commitment to
make that happen,” Cantor, a Virginia Republican, told reporters,
POLITICO.com reported.
Obama
announced on Wednesday that his administration would no longer defend
the 1996 law that bans federal agencies from recognizing the
legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
“Again I do believe that this is a
case that is distinguishable on its merits and to have the
administration take the position, the president take the position,
that he's not defending the law of the land, is something very
troubling I think to most members of the House,” Cantor said.
Boehner
told the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) that he was
disappointed with the president's decision, adding that he would be
“very surprised if the House didn't decide that they were going to
defend the law.”