Republican Senators Ted Cruz of Texas
and Mike Lee of Utah have introduced legislation that seeks to allow
states to decide on gay marriage.
The State Marriage Defense Act seeks to
protect states from any federal efforts to recognize the marriages of
gay and lesbian couples.
The legislation appears to be a
response to Attorney General Eric Holder's Saturday announcement that
the Justice Department will treat the marriages of gay couples –
regardless of where they live – equal to those of their straight
counterparts.
(Related: Eric
Holder: Justice to treat marriages of gay couples equally.)
“How a state should define marriage
should be left up to the citizens of each state,” Lee stated. “It
is clear the Obama administration finds the principles of federalism
inconvenient in its efforts to force states to redefine the
institution of marriage. The State Marriage Defense Act provides an
important protection for states, respecting the right to choose for
themselves how each will treat the institution of marriage under the
law.”
Cruz echoed Lee's sentiments in a
statement.
“The Obama administration should not
be trying to force gay marriage on all 50 states,” Cruz
said. “We should respect the states, and the definition of
marriage should be left to democratically elected legislatures, not
dictated from Washington. This bill will safeguard the ability of
states to preserve traditional marriage for its residents.”