Topic: Defense of Marriage Act
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Senate freshmen: What the 14 new members bring to Capitol Hill
A freshman Senate class was sworn in Jan. 3, bringing diverse skills and experience – not to mention agendas – to the legislative body. Whether the 14 newest senators help break partisan gridlock, or refuse to work across the aisle, will be the test for the 113th Congress.Twelve were elected on Nov. 6, including three Republicans, eight Democrats, and an independent. In addition, a Republican and a Democrat were appointed to vacant seats after the election. Here is a look at the 14 and what they bring to the Senate:
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Major gay marriage cases in federal court and where they stand
Battles over same-sex marriage have been raging in the federal courts for several years. Two could reach the US Supreme Court within a year: one challenging California's ban on gay marriage under Proposition 8, and the other seeking to invalidate the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Here are the cases to follow.
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Gay marriage in the US: six ways states differ on the issue
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New York gay marriage bill: What would happen if it passes?
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Getting bin Laden and five other boosts to Obama's reelection bid
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Robert Reich Presidential debate: the questions they should (but won't) ask Obama, Romney
What would happen if Robert Reich moderated a presidential debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney? Reich offers his thoughts on what questions Romney and Obama should be asked in Wednesday's presidential debate.
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Focus
Can GOP survive its 'minority problem'?Polls show that the GOP continues to be 'the party of old, white men' – and that could be decisive in the 2012 presidential election. Demographics suggest that the party must change, and soon.
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Paul Ryan to 'values voters': If Obama wins, there's no going back
In a well-received speech to social conservatives – a key element of the GOP base – Paul Ryan slams President Obama and the Democrats for putting too much emphasis on government.
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In looming federalism fight, three states say feds can't 'unmarry' gay couples
Vermont, New York, and Connecticut argue in a US court of appeals brief that it’s states, not the federal government, that license official relationships, including gay marriages.
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We know Paul Ryan is a budget hawk. But what about other issues?
As a seven-term member of Congress, Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan has a record on issues other than the federal budget – abortion, immigration, national security, and gay rights, for example.
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Gay marriage: California's Prop. 8 lands on doorstep of US Supreme Court (+video)
US Supreme Court is asked to hear California's Prop. 8 case. If the justices agree to hear that one and federal Defense of Marriage Act cases in the next term, it would mark the most extensive and important examination of gay rights in the US ever.
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Pentagon celebrates gay pride month, but can it really make gays equal?
The repeal of 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell' has exposed some inequalities – between spousal benefits for heterosexual troops and those for homosexual troops who are also in legal partnerships.
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Obama immigration order: Does 'audacity of hope' mean unchecked presidential power?
President Obama’s order deferring deportation of up to 800,000 young illegal immigrants shows a president dealing with a recalcitrant Congress by ignoring it. Is he reshaping the power of the presidency?
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Prop. 8: appeals courts set stage for Supreme Court review of gay marriage
The Ninth Circuit on Tuesday declined to reexamine a ruling overturning California's Prop. 8 gay marriage ban as unconstitutional. The decision sets the stage for a Supreme Court showdown.
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Why a federal court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act
The First Circuit wrote that the federal Defense of Marriage Act intruded on states' rights and that the act's defenders failed to justify its impact on gay couples. But the court acknowledged that 'only the Supreme Court can finally decide this unique case.'
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Appeals court strikes down DOMA: Tradition doesn't justify unequal treatment (+video)
A three-judge panel from the federal appeals court in Boston unanimously ruled the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional for denying federal benefits to 'same-sex couples lawfully married in Massachusetts.'
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Gay marriage: Judge overturns DOMA, stepping up pressure on Supreme Court
A federal judge struck down the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which precludes gay couples from receiving federal marriage benefits. She is the third federal judge to do so, suggesting that the Supreme Court might need to step in soon to clarify its position.
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Major gay marriage cases in federal court and where they stand
Battles over same-sex marriage have been raging in the federal courts for several years. Two could reach the US Supreme Court within a year: one challenging California's ban on gay marriage under Proposition 8, and the other seeking to invalidate the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Here are the cases to follow.
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Focus
The gay marriage paradox: as acceptance rises, so do legal barriersPresident Obama's embrace of gay marriage mirrors growing support among many Americans, but states continue to ban it. The US Supreme Court could play a key role.
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Decoder Wire Obama on 'The View': Were hosts too easy on him? (+video)
The format of 'The View' may allow a skilled politician a lot of control over the message. President Obama skirted around some questions about gay marriage and financial-markets reform.
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Obama says gay marriage 'right thing to do' (+video)
He appeared in front of a gay and lesbian leadership group at a fundraiser, in addition to appearances on "The View" and at Barnard College.
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Panetta: No hitches in military's repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell'
Since September, gay service members have been able to serve openly in the US military. The end of the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy is 'going very well,' Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday.
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Obama backs gay marriage: What difference will that make? (+video)
President Obama was already doing virtually all he could to advance gay rights politically. But by openly supporting gay marriage, he could be a potent force to broaden cultural acceptance.
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Obama supports gay marriage: Historic switch carries risks (+video)
Obama supports gay marriage in an interview with ABC News, ending a period in which he said his views were 'evolving.' The move was instantly hailed and denounced by the opposing sides on the issue.
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Obama's vague gay marriage position in spotlight
Vice President Joe Biden's remarks on a Sunday morning talk show have drawn attention to the President's uncertain position, as did high-profile support for gay marriage from Education Secretary Arne Duncan.
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Education Secretary Arne Duncan endorses gay marriage. Is Obama cornered? (+video)
Now, both Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary Duncan have spoken up for gay marriage, but Obama is holding back. That could be a political calculation, but gay activists are frustrated.
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Joe Biden stirs the pot on same-sex marriage (+video)
Vice President Joe Biden says he's 'absolutely comfortable' with same-sex marriage. That seems to put him out front of President Obama on a hot-button issue that is sure to come up in the presidential election.
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Support for gay marriage rises among California voters, poll finds
An accelerating shift is under way among California voters on gay marriage, with 59 percent now in favor of allowing it, a new Field Poll suggests. That's up from 49 percent in 2009.
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Washington State headed toward gay marriage: a sign of shifting attitudes
Lawmakers voted to make Washington the seventh state to allow gay marriage. Opponents vow to force the measure onto the November ballot, but obtaining a voter veto of the new law will be an uphill battle.
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At $1.6 million, Newt Gingrich is world's highest paid historian, says Romney
Mitt Romney challenges the $1.6 million paid to Newt Gingrich as a 'historian' for Freddie Mac. Newt Gingrich responds with a $10 bet.
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