Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) issued the following statement after the Obama Administration announced that it will stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in ongoing suits in two federal appeals courts.  This follows a decision by the Federal District Court in Boston last July, ruling that Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional.  This section of the 1996 law denies federal benefits to legally married same sex couples.  While the both decisions do not remove the law from the books, these are huge steps to its eventually being stricken or overturned.

Rep. Engel was one of only 67 House Members to vote against DOMA, and was an original co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act of 2009, which would repeal DOMA.

“I applaud the President for agreeing with the Boston court that DOMA is unconstitutional.  DOMA was a huge mistake in 1996 and remains one to this day.  The federal government should not be in the business of discrimination and the suppression of benefits and rights.  This is a victory for equal treatment under the law.

“When I co-sponsored the Respect for Marriage Act of 2009, I said that DOMA meddles with the laws passed by the states granting marriage rights to same-sex couples, and may not be constitutional.  That position was confirmed by the Boston court, and now by the Justice Department, and I am hopeful that this will lead to the law being officially stricken from the books. 

“Same-sex couples, should have the same rights as every other family in the nation.  They work hard and pay their taxes; they contribute to charity and try to raise their family as best as they can.  They are our friends, family and neighbors, and should never be treated differently.  The rights and privileges deserved by all Americans must be maintained.”

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