U.S. Rep. David Dreier of California, a member of the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives, said he would not support an amendment.
"I believe this should go through the courts, and I think we are at a point where this is not necessary," Dreier said.
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a Texas Republican, said amending the Constitution should not be attempted in haste and only after other legal alternatives were tried.
Among those alternatives is a court test of the Defence of Marriage Act signed into law by President Bill Clinton, which says states are not obligated to recognise same-sex marriages allowed in other states
The GOP needs to get their shit together. What a disaster for Dreier and Delay to come out on the same side as JOHN F'ING KERRY TODAY! Geeze!
Tom used to be my congresscritter, and I have a lot of respect for him, but this is just ridiculous. By the time this goes through the courts, there will be thousands of married gay people. How much harder will it be for the courts to invalidate the marriages of those people at that point? How much easier will it be for the other side to make the argument that the FMA would "break up intact families"? If we are not going to do this now, we might as well accept gay marriage as a fact of life right now - later will be TOO late. Once this becomes common, you can't go back. You can't put toothpaste back into the tube.
But if left unchallenged, it WILL get to this point, Mr. Dreier. Look at what's happened around the country since SF decided to break the law-- New Mexico, Michigan-- everywhere gays are lining up to defy established laws. An amendment must be put forth, and put forth now.