Fleming and Pitts on Obama Administration Decision on Utah Marriages

Press Release

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. (LA-04), and Congressman Joe Pitts (PA-16), co-chairs of the House Values Action Team, released the following statements in response to the announcement today that the U.S. Justice Department will ignore Utah's marriage law and recognize same-sex marriages performed prior to the U.S. Supreme Court stay:

Congressman Fleming:
"This is another example of the Obama Administration's disrespect for the rule of the law. Attorney General Eric Holder has sided with an Obama-nominated federal judge to overrule the will of the people of Utah and force the recognition of same-sex marriage. "States must be permitted to not recognize same-sex marriage, if they so choose, without being trampled on by federal courts and the Obama Administration. I will continue to work for passage of legislation to ensure that states are protected against the overreach of the federal government in this crucial area."

Congressman Pitts:
"I am shocked that the Justice Department would act so quickly to undermine Utah's constitutional amendment that recognizes marriage as the union of one man and one woman. This is just the type of legal chaos that Justice Scalia warned about in his dissent in Windsor vs. U.S. "While I disagreed with the majority decision, it still clearly set limits on the government's power to use a federal definition of marriage to meddle in state decisions on marriage. The administration should have allowed the court to rule before making this decision."

Source