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Pelosi: Marriage Equality Will Have Its Day in Court

Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after the Supreme Court announced that it would hear cases challenging the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8:

“With the Supreme Court’s decision, marriage equality will finally have its day in the highest court in the land.  Americans will hear whether inequality and discrimination are consistent with the high standards and deepest values of our Constitution.  We remain confident that the justices’ ruling will fall on the side of civil rights and discard DOMA and Prop 8 in the dustbin of history.

“From the start, Republicans have known that DOMA is unconstitutional, and that’s why Republicans have tried to pass legislation to prohibit judicial review of this disgraceful law.  Speaker Boehner’s legal team repeatedly failed to convince the courts to keep denying basic rights to American families, all while wasting nearly $1.5 million in taxpayer funds.  Now, the Supreme Court will decide whether Edie Windsor deserved to face a penalty of hundreds of thousands of dollars after her partner of four decades passed away.  We believe Ms. Windsor and couples like hers will see justice done in this case.

“By taking up the Prop 8 case, the Supreme Court will have the opportunity to make a strong statement that laws, in California and nationwide, must not target the LGBT community unfairly and that families across our state and our country deserve fair and equal treatment under the law.

“We have now reached a landmark moment in the history of civil rights in our nation.  Let’s end discrimination and ensure equality for all of America’s families.  Let’s get this over with and on to the future!”