NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)–Support in the House of Representatives for the Federal Marriage Amendment has grown to 90 sponsors, the Alliance for Marriage announced Sept. 30.
The amendment would add language to the U.S. Constitution declaring that marriage in America is only between a man and a woman — thus banning same-sex “marriage.”
Many politicians and social conservatives believe such a move is necessary to prevent courts from legalizing same-sex “marriage.” Legal cases in four states are pending, and Massachusetts’s highest court is expected to issue a ruling on the matter any day.
“This number is a measure of the significant progress that AFM has made in educating the public, and members of Congress, since we first drafted the Federal Marriage Amendment three years ago,” Matt Daniels, president and founder of the Alliance for Marriage, said in a statement. “And we continue to make more progress each day.”
The announcement came as conservatives are gearing up to observe Marriage Protection Week Oct. 12-18. It is being co-sponsored by a number of organizations, including the Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission. Mini-posters and bulletin inserts are available at www.marriageprotectionweek.com.
While the amendment has yet to be introduced in the Senate, several Senators have indicated that they would vote for it.
A constitutional amendment requires the approval of two-thirds of the House and Senate and three-quarters of the states.
The first sentence of the amendment reads: “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman.”
The second sentence prevents courts from getting involved: “Neither this constitution or the constitution of any state, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups.”
In other news:
CORNYN LEANING — Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has yet to announce his support for a constitutional amendment, although he is leaning in that direction.
“I would not be opposed to acting in advance of a decision,” he was quoted as saying in The Dallas Morning News Sept. 27. “I’m not sure we ought to wait until then. … I would be inclined to say, rather than have unelected judges change the law, that Congress ought to act first in support of the traditional marriage, and that would probably be a constitutional amendment. But I’m not yet at that point.”
POLLS, POLLS, POLLS — Recent polls in Alabama, Michigan, New Jersey and Wisconsin show that residents of those four states are cold to the idea of same-sex “marriage.”
In Alabama, 82 percent of adults said they were opposed to homosexual “marriage” while 64 percent said they were opposed to Vermont-type same-sex unions. The poll was sponsored by the Mobile Register and the University of South Alabama.
In Michigan, by a 51-38 percent margin, voters said they would like to see same-sex “marriage” banned. Likewise, by a 53-39 percent margin, voters opposed civil unions. The poll of 600 voters was sponsored in part by the Detroit News. Sponsor
In New Jersey, 50 percent of adults said they opposed same-sex “marriage” while 43 percent said they supported it. However, 52 percent of adults said they supported civil unions. The Star-Ledger/Eagleton-Rutgers poll of 802 adults differs from an earlier poll that showed 55 percent of New Jersey adults supported same-sex “marriage.”
In Wisconsin, by a margin of 60-32 percent, residents said they opposed attempts to legalize same-sex “marriage.” Residents were split on civil unions — 48 percent approved of them, 47 percent disapproved. The Badger Poll surveyed 511 adults.
All four polls were conducted in August or September.
GOP PLATFORM — Next year’s Republican platform may support a constitutional amendment banning same-sex “marriage,” Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie told The Washington Times.
“There is a lot of energy out there, a lot of concern about gay marriage,” he was quoted as saying in the Sept. 23 edition. “So it wouldn’t surprise me if it were addressed in some form or fashion in the platform.”
NY DEMS FOR IT — The New York State Democratic Committee passed a resolution Sept. 22 in support of legalizing same-sex “marriage” in the state. A bill legalizing homosexual “marriage” is set to be introduced in the New York state legislature, although neither political party expects it to pass, according to The New York Times.
“New York Democrats have always been in the forefront as advocates for equal treatment and civil rights for all,” state party Chair Herman “Denny” Farrell, Jr. said in a statement. “This legislation helps right a long-time wrong, and simply provides same-sex couples with the same legal protections, rights, and responsibilities that heterosexual couples acquire when they marry.”
QUESTIONABLE POLL — Political observers have long said that poll results can be influenced by the questions asked. A recent ABC News poll may illustrate that.
The September poll of 1,028 adults found that 55 percent of Americans said that same-sex “marriage” should be illegal. Those polled were then asked, “Is it worth amending the U.S. Constitution to make it illegal for homosexual couples to get married, or not worth it?” Sixty percent of those who opposed homosexual “marriage” said it was not worth it.
The ABC poll contrasts with three polls this year that found support for a constitutional amendment to be anywhere from 54 to 58 percent. The poll’s language — it asked people if it’s “worth” amending the Constitution — may have influenced the outcome.
For example, an August FOX News poll simply asked, “Would you favor or oppose passing a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as being between a man and a woman?” Fifty-eight percent said they would favor it.
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