Today, U.S. Reps Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Jared Polis (D-CO) are expected to introduce a bill that would revoke the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Under DOMA, the federal government defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman, and relieves states of any obligation to recognize same-sex marriages, even if those same-sex marriages are recognized in another state.
This is a good step, and I applaud Reps Nadler, Baldwin, and Polis, along with their 50-plus cosponsors. After all, government-sanctioned discrimination has no place in today's society (or so I would like to think).
Therefore, I was shocked to learn that openly gay Congressman Barney Frank is not a cosponsor of Nadler's bill. Frank explained, "It's not anything that's achievable in the near term." As if that's a good reason to not even try!
A private health insurance option might not be achievable in the near term either, but that doesn't mean that I want the Democrats to roll over and give up the fight!
Frank also has a problem with a specific provision in the bill that would require states to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.
Perhaps that is too much too soon, but I don't think that justifies throwing out the baby with the bathwater.
Legislation evolves. A bill is introduced, and then it is amended, and provisions are added and removed until enough people are comfortable with moving it forward.
Therefore, isn't it better to start out by giving them a strong bill to hack away at, rather than initially setting the goal post too low?
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