Barbara Mikulski: “I will vote for the Defense of Marriage Act. What this bill does is really quite simple. It puts in the Federal law…”

“I will vote for the Defense of Marriage Act. What this bill does is really quite simple. It puts in the Federal law books what has always been the definition of a marriage--the legal union between one man and one woman. The bill also allows each State to determine for itself what is considered a marriage under that State's laws, and not to be bound by the decisions made by other States. However, I would like to make some comments which I believe are important. First of all, I have been very concerned by the overheated rhetoric that has characterized the congressional and national debate on this issue. It has been divisive and much of it has been nasty and demeaning. The last thing Americans need right now is another wedge issue. The last thing Americans need is an issue that turns us against one another, and that exacerbates bigotry and hate. It is time to stop the politics of hate. It might make for an exciting sound bite or a boost in the polls here and there, but it demeans us as a people. We are a better people than that. We should recognize the politics behind this debate. It is an effort to make Members of Congress take an uncomfortable vote. It is an effort to put the President and Democrats on the spot, and at odds with a group of voters who have traditionally supported the President and the Democratic Party. I regret that. We owe it to the American people not to play politics with an issue as important as marriage.”