Jasper Packard: “in the history of our Country, marriage has never meant anything other than an exclusively heterosexual and monogamous…”

“in the history of our Country, marriage has never meant anything other than an exclusively heterosexual and monogamous institution. The fact that we have to take up legislation today to defend this precious institution is mind-boggling. While the Defense of Marriage Act protects the rights of a State to decide for itself whether to recognize same-sex marriage entered into in a different State, we cannot ignore the larger issue--traditional family values. The very nucleus of family is marriage. Perhaps no other relation provides society with the benefits marriage does. We cannot allow the integrity of marriage to broken down and destroyed. We have seen throughout history, civilizations that have allowed the traditional bonds of family to be weakened--those civilizations have not survived. America has, and should always be a Nation that prioritizes traditional family values and the tradition of a one-man and one-women marriage. Mr. Speaker, it is time we stopped this assault on America's families and the sacred institution of marriage. I urge all of my colleagues to support this measure.”