Washington, DC – After House Speaker John Boehner announced earlier today that he is taking action to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who urged Speaker Boehner this week not to waste taxpayer money defending the unconstitutional law, issued the following statement:
“I am disappointed that Speaker Boehner has decided to waste taxpayers money by initiating action in the House to defend the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. At this critical economic time in our nation’s history, it is imperative that we as legislators do not devote resources to defending an antiquated and unconstitutional law. The pursuit of this case is a drain on resources, time, and energy and is not in America’s economic and social interests. I urge the Speaker to focus on creating jobs and addressing the challenges facing our economy.”