Washington D.C., Feb 24, 2004 / 22:00 pm
President George W. Bush called upon the Congress to promptly pass an amendment to the United States Constitution, defining and protecting marriage as a union of man and woman as husband and wife. The preservation of the definition of marriage is an issue of “national importance,” said the President.
The amendment protects marriage, buts leaves state legislatures free to define legal arrangements other than marriage.
“The union of a man and woman is the most enduring human institution, honoring -- honored and encouraged in all cultures and by every religious faith,” said Bush. “Ages of experience have taught humanity that the commitment of a husband and wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society.”
Eight years ago, President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act. It defined marriage in federal law as the legal union between one man and one woman. The Act passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 342 to 67, and the Senate by a vote of 85 to 14.