May 29, 2009  |  By: Chris Johnson  | COMMENTS     

Federal lawmakers have introduced a bill to define marriage in D.C. as between one man and one woman and nullify a recently passed measure that allows the District to recognize same-sex marriages solemnized in other jurisdictions.

The legislation, dubbed the D.C. Defense of Marriage Act, is co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Dan Boren (D-Okla.). In a statement May 21, Jordan said “the family is truly the foundational institution of our nation, and marriage is its cornerstone.”

“I look forward to working with the D.C. community, a majority of who — like a majority of Americans — support traditional marriage,” he said. “This is a fight we cannot shy away from, and it is a fight we have to win.”

The succinct bill says that, “In the District of Columbia, for all legal purposes, ‘marriage’ means the union of one man and one woman.”

On May 5, the D.C. Council approved, 12-1, a measure that would allow the city to recognize same-sex marriages from other states and countries. D.C. Council member David Catania (I-At Large) has pledged to follow the measure with a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in the District.

While Congress has 30 days to review legislation approved by the D.C. Council, the bill introduced May 21 is not part of that process; it is a standalone bill. Similar legislation has been introduced in the last three Congresses and has not moved, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

If it were to pass Congress and be signed into law by President Obama, the D.C. Defense of Marriage Act would preclude any possibility of a same-sex marriage law.

Passage of the legislation in Congress was expected to be an uphill battle. Shortly after the passage of a same-sex marriage recognition measure in the D.C. Council, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that “Congress should not interfere with the internal decisions made by the District of Columbia’s elected representatives — just as the Congress did not intervene in the State of New York’s recognition of valid marriage contracts in other jurisdictions.”

The White House declined to comment last week on the proposed D.C. Defense of Marriage Act.

Jordan’s statement May 21 says 33 lawmakers were co-sponsoring the D.C. Defense of Marriage Act, including Reps. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), Tom Price (R-Ga.), Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and John Fleming (R-La.).

Lawmakers announced the introduction of the bill at a press conference accompanied by clergy from the D.C. area on the terrace of the Cannon Office Building. Among the participants was Bishop Harry Jackson, senior pastor of the Hope Christian Church in Bethesda, Md., and chair of High Impact Leadership Coalition. He is a staunch opponent of same-sex marriage.

In a statement after the press conference, Jeffrey Richardson, president of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club in D.C., lambasted Jackson for his participation in the press conference and said it shows “total disrespect for District residents’ historical struggle for self-determination.”

“Today Bishop Jackson has shown that he does not stand with and for the people of the District of Columbia, but I have confidence that District residents will continue to fight for our self-determination and equality for every resident of this great city,” Richardson said.

LGBT activists railed against the introduction of the legislation. Michael Crawford, founder of D.C. for Marriage, called the introduction of the legislation “another example of why we need voting rights and statehood in the District.”

“What we have is Republican members of Congress and anti-gay clergy members from outside of the District who are coming in and interfering with the law of the District,” he said. “Unfortunately, what they’re doing is, rather than taking action that’s going to help strengthen families, they’re taking the kinds of actions that are going to hurt gay and lesbian families.”

Crawford said he hoped that having a Democratic majority in Congress would mean the bill finds no traction among lawmakers.

“I believe that with the Democrats in charge — they are strong believers in equal rights for gay and lesbian people — and I’m hoping that they will just dismiss it as an unnecessary bill,” he said.

In a statement, HRC spokesperson Trevor Thomas said D.C. “should have the right to determine what is best for its citizens.”

“Congress has a lot on its plate right now and there is no appetite for those seeking to make this a wedge issue,” he said.