Thursday, May 7, 2009

Pelosi: Congress Will Not Intervene on DC's Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage

UPDATE: DC Mayor signs marriage recognition bill.

Edward Epstein of Congressional Quarterly reports, "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that Congress won’t try to block a District of Columbia City Council vote to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages performed elsewhere in the country."

Tuesday, the District's city council voted to 12-1 to recognize same-sex marriage legally performed in the states.

Under the District's charter, Congress can block any action the council or mayor take within 30 days. They mayor has yet to sign the resolution.

“I don’t think the Congress should intervene there in terms of their recognition of marriages in the states that allow them,” she said.

“Members will make a priority of issues like gays in the military. And where we have prospects of success, we always want to expand to a place of more opportunity and more freedom for all — for all Americans,” she said. “But right now, our agenda is jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs. And as we move on that front, concurrently, we have to make some decisions about what is possible and our values-based initiatives as well.”

However, Pelosi has stated that repealing DOMA is not a priority.

Maybe if the Supreme Court in her state of California overturns Prop 8, that will give her the kick in the seat of the pants that she needs to move on it.

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