Dan Coats: “As I said earlier, it is disturbing that the debate is necessary at all. I am thankful for the opportunity to discuss…”

“As I said earlier, it is disturbing that the debate is necessary at all. I am thankful for the opportunity to discuss the importance of traditional marriage. For too long too many people have just assumed that marriage will survive whether or not it is encouraged, nurtured, or promoted. The sad news is that the evidence is in. Marriage, like any other institution such as communities, churches, and schools, can suffer, and is, without the critical support of Federal, State, and local governments, communities, religions, and societal norms. We need to begin a process of reminding ourselves what marriage is. We must tell our children what it means to be married. We must encourage young men and women to get married. We must help married couples to stay together when times are difficult. There is no longer any doubt that the slow demise of marriage in our country has been terribly harmful to children. It is time that we remind this country and ourselves how critically important heterosexual marriage is to a healthy society. The Defense of Marriage Act is a wake-up call for our society. This bill gives us clear guidance as to the definition of marriage. It tells the States, clearly, that they are responsible for the marriages within their State. This bill ensures that States maintain the freedom to establish their own definitions and policies relating to marriage.”