Bachmann, Kline send letter to Senate to block gay soldiers from using military facilities

[w8liftinglady]

http://minnesotaindependent.com/91183/bachmann-kline-send-letter-to-senate-to-block-gay-soldiers-from-using-military-facilities

Reps. Michele Bachmann and John Kline were among the signers of a letter to the U.S. Senate urging that body to pass an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would prohibit gay members of America’s Armed Forces from using military facilities for marriage ceremonies.

The Department of Defense, in the wake of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, has indicated that it will allow chaplains and same-sex couples to use facilities on a “sexual orientation-neutral basis,” something Republican members of the U.S. House oppose.

The letter was authored by Republican Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri and was signed by 86 members of the House.

“The Defense of Marriage Act was passed by a bipartisan vote in Congress and signed into law by President Clinton,” Akin said in a statement. “Unfortunately, this current administration is now directing the Department of Defense to ignore this law and perform gay marriages on military bases. I think this is wrong, which is why I offered an amendment to the House-passed defense bill making it clear that DOMA applies to the DOD. This letter calls for the Senate to add a similar amendment to their version of the bill. The Department of Defense should not be allowed to simply ignore laws they do not like.”

The House members complain that guidance by the Department of Defense General Counsel would make resources available to all members of the military. The general counsel guidance said that the “use of DoD real property and facilities for private functions, including religious and other ceremonies, should be made on a sexual orientation neutral basis.”

[Ship of Fools]

1. What the hell scares them so much??? Rhetorical question, of course ...

[xchrom]

2. a bottomless pit of Stupid with that woman. nt

[MNBrewer]

3. Regardless of the validity of DOMA

I don't think it prohibits same sex weddings on military bases. It just states that the government won't recognize them as valid.

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. Exactly. The military is NOT ignoring the law. The law simply does not apply.

My sister and her partner were married - twice. Once, in a ceremony here in NC. Once, in a fully legal ceremony in Canada. NC does not recognize either marriage. NC could not, however, prevent or prohibit the ceremonies.

[Blue Owl]

4. Assholes

n/t