Washington, D.C. – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement after reports that the House Republican leadership secretly increased its contract with the outside counsel defending the Defense of Marriage Act to $2 million in September, and failed to report this change to the public until today.  Committee on House Administration Chairman Dan Lungren signed the contract on September 28, 2012, but his staff only shared the new contract with Committee Democrats this morning.  
 
“Here they go again.  It’s bad enough that Speaker Boehner and House Republicans are wasting taxpayer dollars to defend the indefensible Defense of Marriage Act – and losing in every case.  Now, they have reached a new low – signing a secret contract to spend more public money on their legal boondoggle without informing Democrats.  Their actions are simply unconscionable; their decisions are utterly irresponsible.

“Hiding this contract from voters in the midst of an election season was a cynical move at best, and a betrayal of the public trust at worst.  With Americans focused on the creation of jobs and the growth of our economy, Republicans should not be spending $2 million to defend discrimination in our country.  We should be embracing our tradition of equality, advancing our promise of opportunity, and securing justice and equal rights for every American.

“With DOMA now before the Supreme Court, there is no end in sight for the Republican legal effort.  It’s time for the Speaker and his Republican colleagues to come clean about their plans.  Until then, we look forward to the day when DOMA is discarded by the highest court in the land and when all of America’s families can know the blessings of equal protection under the law.”