Constitutional amendment against gay marriage introduced in Congress

Ga. Rep. Paul Broun, 29 others sponsor legislation
By DYANA BAGBY, Southern Voice | May 30, 12:35 PM

U.S. Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) introduced an amendment to the U.S. Constitution on May 22 to ban same-sex marriage, a result of the backlash by lawmakers upset with the California Supreme Court’s recent ruling legalizing gay marriage.

	U.S. Rep. Paul Brown (R-Ga.) introduced legislation to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gay marriage. (Photo by AP)

Broun, a freshman Congressman from Augusta, announced his intent to introduce the legislation on May 20 and got 29 co-sponsors to join him in introducing the bill, named the Marriage Protection Amendment. Other Georgians who have signed on as co-sponsors are Republicans Lynn Westmoreland and John Linder.

One co-sponsor, Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), said in a statement posted on his website May 28 he was joining Broun as a co-sponsor because, “The recent decision by the California Supreme Court to overturn the state’s ban on homosexual marriage is an assault on the Judeo-Christian values of America.

“While North Carolina and numerous other states are fortunate to have strong marriage laws in place, these state laws are not immune from legal efforts to redefine marriage,” Jones said. “To ensure the sanctity of marriage as a union between a man and a woman, Congress needs to pass an amendment to our Constitution that no activist judge can overturn.”

Before it could become part of the Constitution, the amendment would need to be approved by a two-thirds majority in the U.S. House and Senate, and then ratified by 38, or three-fourths, of the state legislatures.

Other co-sponsors of the bill, all Republicans, are: Reps. Tom Feeney of Florida; Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania; John Shimkus of Illinois; Tim Walberg, Peter Hoekstra and Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan; Brian Bilbray and Duncan Hunter of California; Dan Burton of Indiana; Trent Franks of Arizona; Barbara Cubin of Wyoming; Todd Akin of Missouri; John Peterson of Pennsylvania; Ralph Hall of Texas; Scott Garrett of New Jersey; Henry Brown of South Carolina; Virgil Goode of Virginia; Virginia Foxx and Robin Hayes of North Carolina; Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland; Mark Souder of Indiana; Robert Anderholt of Alabama, Jeff Miller of Florida, Steve King of Iowa; and Mary Fallin of Oklahoma.