Dems to Introduce Bill to Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act

Several House Democrats will introduce legislation next week to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law that bars the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, The Advocate reported yesterday.

The bill, sponsored by Reps. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) Jared Polis (D-Col.) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), already has the support of more than 50 additional lawmakers, The Advocate said.

Nadler told the Bay Area Reporter in July that the bill would amount to a full repeal of DOMA, including Section 2, which advises states to disregard same-sex marriages that have been legally performed in other states, and Section 3, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages.

As recently as June, President Obama has backed a full repeal of DOMA.