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Washington, DC – Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) today issued the following statement on a Constitutional Amendment to ban gay marriage. “I oppose an amendment to the United States Constitution to limit the rights of one group of Americans. Never before has it been proposed that our Constitution should be used to limit the rights of citizens rather than expand those rights. We must not start down such a dangerous path now. Let’s be clear about one thing: an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to restrict marriages is not about protecting the “sanctity” of the institution of marriage. No one is suggesting any religious group would be compelled to participate in a marriage ceremony between two men or two women. No marriage between a man and a woman will be jeopardized by giving legal standing to a similar commitment by two persons of the same gender. Moreover, states have always had exclusive jurisdiction over family law since the founding of our republic. To shift that jurisdiction to federal law is both unnecessary and unwarranted. It would create an extraordinarily dangerous precedent. Marriage is an important institution, the foundation of families and the bedrock of our society. It should be respected and strengthened. Let us hold true to our principles of expanding rights for our citizens, not limiting them, and keep our sacred Constitution intact.” ### |