Today, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, and the sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), hailed today’s ruling in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that California’s Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.  He issued the following statement:

“Today’s ruling in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Perry v. Brown is a major step toward justice for gays and lesbians and all Americans who believe in equality.  In declaring California’s Proposition 8 to be in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14^th Amendment of the Constitution, the Ninth Circuit has affirmed that the LGBT community cannot be singled out for special discrimination.  All loving couples – gay or straight – deserve the same opportunity to marry and to have their marriages treated with equal regard by the government.  I will continue to work with my colleagues for the passage of my bipartisan bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act to ensure that gay and lesbian married couples are able to take part in the full measure of protections and obligations of federal law.”

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