In a radio appearance on Thursday,
Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, outlined his proposal to
reverse the recent gains of gay marriage supporters.
Cruz and Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, this
week introduced the State Marriage Defense Act, which 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 – as being equal to those of their
straight counterparts.
(Related: Eric
Holder: Justice to treat marriages of gay couples equally.)
“Our heart weeps for the damage to
traditional marriage that has been done,” Cruz
told Family Research Council President Tony Perkins during
Perkins' weekly Washington Watch radio show.
Cruz also claimed that marriage was
“under attack.”
“We need to stand up and defend
traditional marriage and especially do everything we can to prevent
the federal government from forcing a different definition of
marriage that is contrary to the views of the citizens of each
state,” Cruz said.