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Bob Barr
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Barr is the author and principal sponsor of the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to same-sex couples, and he voted for a bill that would have banned joint same-sex adoption in Washington, DC.
Voted NO on The Definition of Marriage Amendment Amdt 1286 to HR 3396: An amendment to suspend the federal definition of marriage contained in the bill when a state, through normal democratic procedures, establishes a different definition. "Make no mistake, I do not support gay marriages," he said in a 2003 interview. "But I also am a firm believer that the Constitution is no place for forcing social policies on states..."
Bill Number: HR 3396, Date: 07/12/1996, Sponsor: Rep. Frank, Barney [MA-4]
"I stand before you as the author of the Defense of Marriage Act and I am hear to tell you face to face...that I will work to repeal that provision of law."
BARR: "The issue of marriage is a social issue that ought to be left up to the people of the states. And if, in fact, the people of a state—California, Massachusetts, other states—decide they wish to broaden the recognition and the definition of marriage or do away with it entirely, that’s up to the citizens of that state." Q: "But you were a fierce proponent of the—supporter of, originator of the Defense of Marriage Act." BARR: "And the Defense of Marriage Act still stands for, I think, a very valid proposition, in that it protects each state’s ability and decision-making in the area of marriage. It protects any state from having a different definition of marriage forced on it from another state. It essentially protects the ability of each state to practice federalism."
"Regardless of whether one supports or opposes same sex marriage, the decision to recognize such unions ought to be made by each state rather than imposed as a one-size-fits-all mandate by the federal government. Any federal laws that prevent states from determining their own standards for marriage should be repealed; the federal government should not define marriage, whether by statute or constitutional amendment."
"The federal government has no authority to regulate personal relationships among individuals. At best, this decision is best left to individual states to determine for themselves. As such, I would consider it inappropriate for the federal government to become involved in such decisions."
Campaign Response (9/2/08)
Voted YES on banning gay adoptions in DC. Vote on an amendment banning adoptions in District of Columbia by gays or other individuals who are not related by blood or marriage.
Amendment introduced by Largent, R-OK; Bill HR 2587 ; vote number 1999-346 on Jul 29, 1999
"The only reason marriage has become an issue of government is the social engineering that occurs through benefits given through the tax code. The tax code should be reformed where no benefit is given simply for being in a relationship. This both makes the tax code fairer, and also eliminates the federal government's attempt to regulate personal relationships."
Campaign Response (9/2/08)
"As a conservative Republican member of Congress from 1995 to 2003, I was hardly a card-carrying member of the gay-rights lobby. I opposed then, and continue to oppose, same-sex marriage, or the designation of gays as a constitutionally protected minority class. Service in the armed forces is another matter. The bottom line here is that, with nearly a decade and a half of the hybrid "don't ask, don't tell" policy to guide us, I have become deeply impressed with the growing weight of credible military opinion which concludes that allowing gays to serve openly in the military does not pose insurmountable problems for the good order and discipline of the services."