Langerin and Walz Co-Sponsor DOMA Repeal Bill

The bill to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act has 122 cosponsors with Rhode Island Congressman Jim Langerin and Minnesota Congressman Tim Walz announcing their support earlier on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

“As the march toward full equality for LGBT Americans is seeing some real, concrete progress, the movement to repeal DOMA is steadily growing stronger and more robust,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.,) who introduced the Respect for Marriage Act in the House in March. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.,) Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced an identical measure in the U.S. Senate.

“Getting married to my wife Gwen and building our life together was the best thing that ever happened to me,” said Walz. “I simply cannot imagine why we would want to ban our fellow Americans from that commitment. Martin Luther King Jr. once said ‘The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.’ I believe that arc is getting shorter and I look forward to a day in my lifetime when Americans are not discriminated on based on who they love.”

The White House announced in July that President Barack Obama supports the DOMA repeal bill. The Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the Respect for Marriage Act on July 19.