Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Federal Appeals Court Ruling On The Defense Of Marriage Act [Senator Leahy is a leading cosponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
PoliticalNews.me - Jun 01,2012 - Comment Of Senator Patrick Leahy On Federal Appeals Court Ruling On The Defense Of Marriage Act
[Senator Leahy is a leading cosponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). He chaired the first-ever congressional hearing examining the effects of DOMA on American families. As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he led the panel’s consideration of the legislation. The Committee approved the bill in November.]
“The First Circuit Court of Appeals decision today echoes testimony heard during an historic hearing before the Judiciary Committee’s last year: DOMA has damaging effects on the lives of thousands of American families, who are denied the same federal rights as millions of other Americans. Vermonters know well that marriage equality in our society is a matter of fairness, and all couples deserve equal treatment under the law. That is why I praise the court’s decision and support repealing DOMA
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Patrick Leahy of Middlesex was elected to the United States Senate in 1974 and remains the only Democrat elected to this office from Vermont. At 34, he was the youngest U.S. Senator ever to be elected from the Green Mountain State. Leahy was born in Montpelier and grew up across from the Statehouse. A graduate of Saint Michael's College in Colchester (1961), he received his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center (1964). He served for eight years as State's Attorney in Chittenden County. He gained a national reputation for his law enforcement activities and was selected (1974) as one of three outstanding prosecutors in the United States. Leahy is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is a senior member of the Agriculture and Appropriations Committees. He ranks second in seniority in the Senate.
