[randomhero97]

federal law HAS to address marriage at the federal level, for instance for military personnel.

It absolutely does not. All the federal government has to recognize is a contract.

Letting the federal government define/decide what is and isn't marriage from the beginning is what created this mess.

[ansel12]

You must not know anything about military life, the military has to deal with married personnel and their spouses in housing, security, travel, health care, everything.

The feds have to have their own definitions of marriage for the military, federal employment, immigration, and they always have.

There was NEVER a time when the Federal government was not making law regarding marriage at the federal level.