New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has
urged House Speaker John Boehner not to defend the Defense of
Marriage Act (DOMA) in court, calling such an effort a waste of
taxpayer's money.
Last week, President Barack Obama
announced he believed parts of the 15-year-old law that bans federal
agencies from recognizing the legal gay marriages of gay and lesbian
couples are unconstitutional, and asked the Department of Justice to
stop defending the law.
“It is in the best interests of
taxpayers and the Constitution for you to refrain from appointing
special counsel to defend this law,” Gillibrand
wrote in a letter to Boehner published Wednesday at POLITICO.com.
“A decision to appoint special counsel would be an unnecessary
cost to taxpayers, and would detract from our shared goal of cutting
wasteful spending and creating jobs.”
Boehner
on Monday said he believed the House would move to defend the law.
Republicans have said they'll discuss their options at a press
conference scheduled for Friday.
Gillibrand, a supporter of gay
marriage, added that she believes the law is unconstitutional.
“At this critical economic juncture
in our nation's history, it is imperative that we as legislators do
not devote resources to defending an antiquated and unconstitutional
law.”