Bob Barr in The Los Angeles Times

On Civil Rights: I authored DOMA, but now it should be repealed

In 1996, I wrote the Defense of Marriage Act, better known by its shorthand acronym, DOMA. The law has been a flash-point for those arguing for or against same-sex marriage ever since President Clinton signed it into law. After careful consideration, I have come to agree that the law should be repealed.

The left now decries DOMA as the barrier to federal recognition and benefits for married gay couples. The right lambasts DOMA for subverting the political momentum for a constitutional amendment. In truth, the language of the legislation--like that of most federal laws--was a compromise. DOMA was indeed designed to thwart the then-nascent move in a few state courts and legislatures to afford partial or full recognition to same-sex couples.

I crafted the legislation so it wasn't a hammer the federal government could use to force states to recognize only unions between a man and a woman. Congress deliberately chose not to establish a single, nationwide definition of marriage.

Source: Los Angeles Times editorial by Bob Barr Jan 5, 2009

On Civil Rights: Replace DOMA with state decisions on gay marriage

DOMA is not working out as planned. I have concluded that DOMA is neither meeting the principles of federalism it was supposed to, nor is its impact limited to federal law. In effect, DOMA's language reflects one-way federalism: It protects only those states that don't want to accept a same-sex marriage granted by another state.

In 2006, when then-Sen. Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment, he said, "Decisions about marriage should be left to the states." He was right then; and as I have come to realize, he is right now in concluding that DOMA has to go. If one truly believes in federalism and the primacy of state government over the federal, DOMA is simply incompatible with those notions.

Source: Los Angeles Times editorial by Bob Barr Jan 5, 2009

The above quotations are from Media coverage of CA political races in The Los Angeles Times. Click here for other excerpts from Media coverage of CA political races in The Los Angeles Times. Click here for other excerpts by Bob Barr. Click here for a profile of Bob Barr.
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