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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Gay marriage: Court weighs validity of Prop. 8 ruling by gay judge
Proponents of California's Prop. 8 gay marriage ban say the 2010 ruling against it should be vacated because the judge failed to disclose that he was in a long-term gay relationship.
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Why Pentagon chiefs are cheering end of 'don't ask, don't tell'
Top Pentagon officials hailed the end of the 'don't ask, don't tell' ban on openly gay service members Tuesday as a move consistent with the military's honor and integrity.
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New York special election is a smelling salt for Obama, Democrats
New York special election: In a House district where Democrats outnumber Republicans 3 to 1, the victory of GOP businessman Bob Turner delivers a sobering message to the Democratic Party leadership.
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The end to 'don't ask, don't tell' follows shifting public attitudes
“Don’t ask, don’t tell” – the ban on gay men and women serving openly in the US military – comes to end September 20. Public attitudes have shifted dramatically since it came into force 18 years ago.
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Senate hearing chronicles costs of DOMA: lost dignity, financial ruin
In emotional testimony, married gay and lesbian couples testified before a Senate committee as to the costs – financial and emotional – of the Defense of Marriage Act. The Senate is considering a repeal.
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Obama, in stand for gay rights, calls for repeal of DOMA
In nod to gay rights, Obama backs repeal of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act), which defines marriage as between one man and one woman and withholds federal benefits from gay married couples.
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Military benefits? Not for gay couples in armed forces.
Military benefits will still be mostly reserved for heterosexual couples. Despite the repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell,' military benefits like housing and travel allowances won't be extended to gay partners.
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Obama press conference: President stays in closet on gay marriage
In a rare solo press conference, Obama dodged reporters' efforts to make him clarify his position on gay marriage. He supports civil unions but has said his position is 'evolving.'
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Gay marriage: Can Obama stay on tightrope until 2012 elections?
President Obama has increased gay rights without publicly endorsing gay marriage. Can his position on gay marriage continue 'evolving' throughout a tight campaign season?
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New York lawmakers delay same-sex marriage vote until Friday
After hours of debate, the Republican-controlled New York Senate put off a vote on same-sex marriage until Friday. The sticking point remains exemptions to protect religious groups from civil lawsuits if they refuse to preside over same-sex ceremonies.
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Gay marriage in the US: six ways states differ on the issue
The early February ruling by a federal appeals court in California—that Proposition 8, the ban on same-sex marriage, is unconstitutional—reveals that gay marriage in the US is more than just a black and white issue. Officially, the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage, but some individual states do. And plenty more have laws or constitutional amendments that offer limited rights to same-sex couples. Take a look at where states currently stand on gay marriage in the US.
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New York gay marriage bill: What would happen if it passes?
New York legislators could vote as early as Wednesday to legalize gay marriage in the state. New York would become the sixth state (plus Washington, D.C.) to permit gay marriage, and the third to approve it via a legislative bill and not a court decision. With gay marriage in California in legal limbo, it would also become the most populous state with gay marriage, potentially influencing legislators in other states, such as Maryland and Rhode Island. As a gay marriage vote inches closer in New York, here’s a list six things that would – and wouldn’t – happen should the bill pass.
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Navy marriage rules now allow for same-sex unions
Navy marriage: Military training to apply the new law allowing gays to serve openly began early this year and is expected to be complete by midsummer.
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Getting bin Laden and five other boosts to Obama's reelection bid
"Yes We Can” was so 2008. Now President Obama is the incumbent, with a record to defend. More than whom the Republicans nominate to run against him in 2012, how voters perceive Mr. Obama’s accomplishments and liabilities – two highly subjective categories, at times overlapping – will determine whether he gets four more years. Here are his top six accomplishments, including the killing of Osama bin Laden:
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DOMA: Republicans lose big-money law firm but keep key lawyer
The law firm that congressional Republicans hired to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) drops out unexpectedly, though a top lawyer has quit the firm to stay on the case.
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Prop. 8: Gay marriage still on hold in California, says Ninth Circuit
The Ninth Circuit ruled Wednesday not to lift the 'temporary' stay on same-sex marriages in California, imposed in August 2010.
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Video: Huckabee blasts Obama decision on Defense of Marriage Act
Possible GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee blasted the Obama administration's decision to stop defending the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits federal recognition of gay marriage.
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US will no longer defend Defense of Marriage Act in court
The president and attorney general conclude the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutionally discriminates against same-sex married couples. Decision is a major policy shift on gay rights.
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Illinois governor signs civil-unions bill – is gay marriage next?
Illinois will be the sixth state to recognize civil unions for gay couples. Three states have seen civil unions act as a springboard toward the legalization of gay marriage.
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Prop. 8 overturned: Why Vaughn Walker ruled against gay-marriage ban
Prop. 8 overturned by US District Judge Vaughn Walker Wednesday. Judge Walker ruled that the California gay-marriage ban violates the Constitution's equal protection clause.
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DC's gay marriage law survives court challenge
The DC Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that Washington was within its rights to block a popular vote on same-sex marriage because the results could violate its human rights law. The city legalized gay marriage in March.
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Obama administration walks tricky political line on gay marriage ban
President Obama has pledged to overturn the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the federal government from recognizing gay marriage. But his Justice Department is defending the law’s constitutionality in court.
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Gay marriage ban unconstitutional, rules federal judge in Boston
Gay marriage: In Boston, US District Judge Joseph Tauro ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional because it forces Massachusetts to discriminate against its own citizens by denying them some federal benefits.
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A small step toward tax equality for same-sex couples
Three IRS rulings the rulings will lower the tax burden for many same-sex couples. But the changes don’t address a host of other ways in which same-sex couples face less-favorable tax treatment.
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Legal challenge of federal gay marriage ban begins
Plaintiffs argue that the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which bans gay marriage, is unconstitutional. The federal trial opened Thursday in Boston.
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