Bart Stupak: “I take very seriously my oath of office to the U.S. House of Representatives. In it, I swear to ``always protect and…”

“I take very seriously my oath of office to the U.S. House of Representatives. In it, I swear to ``always protect and defend the Constitution of the United States . . . so help me God.'' I will be doing just that when I vote against H.R. 3313. This bill, which strips the courts of their right--and obligation--to hear challenges to federal law, is a direct attack on our U.S. Constitution. I have long been a supporter of the Defense of Marriage Act that Congress passed in 1996.-I believe that marriage should be defined as a union between a man and woman. Despite my support for DOMA--we cannot as Members of Congress, knowingly vote for legislation that undermines the clearly stated separation of powers between the three branches of government as outlined in the Constitution. This separation of power between the legislative, executive and judicial branches serves as the foundation of our democracy and our system of government. If we fail today to ``support and defend'' the Constitution, what's next? This legislation sets a terrible precedent! Will Congress prevent the federal courts, including the Supreme Court, from interpreting civil rights, worker or religious rights laws? Will the courts next be blocked from reviewing actions of the executive branch? Do we really want to head in a direction where the Constitution and courts reflect only on the political views of the political party that controls the U.S. House, Senate and the Presidency?”