Marriage Amendment Fails in House of Representatives
On July 18, the House of Representatives struck down H.J. Res. 88, the proposed constitutional amendment that would protect the traditional institution of marriage between one man and one woman by banning homosexual “marriages.” Though a majority of House members supported the bill, the 236-187 vote fell 47 votes short of the 2/3 majority required by the Constitution to advance the proposed amendment.
The failure of the Marriage Protection Amendment (MPA) in the House of Representatives follows on the heels of defeat in the Senate on June 7th. There, the measure failed in a 49-48 vote. That vote marked the inability of Republican Senate leaders to muster even a simple majority of support for traditional marriage. (See earlier article)
Conservative leaders are frustrated by an ever-growing disparity between high levels of support for one-man, one-woman marriage in individual states, and a dismal level of interest among elected officials. Criticism for failing to protect marriage has extended to the White House, where support for support for marriage is weak at best.
Family Policy Network (FPN) described the president’s tardy support for the Senate’s vote on marriage in June as being “too-little, too-late.” FPN leaders attending the president’s speech before the Senate vote as a “dog and pony show” intended to appease conservatives without truly attempting to influence the outcome of the vote.
FPN President Joe Glover expressed disappointment with the betrayal by legislators by saying, “Every time the issue of marriage is brought before voters, they’ve supported the traditional definition by an average of 71 percent.” He asked, “I don’t know why their elected leaders in Washington can’t do the same.”
RELATED INFORMATION:
Click here to see how Representatives voted on the Marriage Protection Amendment
Click here to see how Senators voted on the Marriage Protection Amendment
President Bush “hasn’t lifted a finger” for Marriage Amendment
Marriage Protection Amendment Defeated in U.S. Senate
FPN Leaders Attend White House Speech, Question Tardiness
FPN Leader Puts Senate Marriage Amendment Defeat in Perspective on CNN