Hoekstra Votes to Defend Marriage Constitutional Amendment Defines Marriage as Between One Man, One Woman

Hoekstra Votes to Defend Marriage Constitutional Amendment Defines Marriage as Between One Man, One Woman

U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, today voted in support of an amendment to the Constitution that would define marriage in the United States as the union of one man and one woman.

"Marriage is a building block of the family and a fundamental cornerstone of American culture and society," Hoekstra said. "It is uniquely and essentially the union of one man and one woman."

The Marriage Protection Amendment (H.J. Res. 88) received majority support in the House, but did not reach the two-thirds majority required for an amendment to the Constitution.

"It is disappointing that an effort as significant as amending the U.S. Constitution should be necessary to preserve the tradition of marriage," Hoekstra said. "However, the issue should be decided by voters and their elected representatives, not by unaccountable activist judges."

The amendment states: Marriage in the United States shall consist solely of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman.

The bill text was drafted to ensure that state legislatures determine the allocation of benefits and privileges traditionally associated with marriage through the democratic process, not unelected judges.

http://hoekstra.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=47199