Pete Sessions: “We need to think about those issues and consider seriously the direction this country intends to take on marriage. That…”

“We need to think about those issues and consider seriously the direction this country intends to take on marriage. That is all I am saying. I urge my colleagues to realize this is a significant vote. What we say indicates what this Nation, what this culture thinks about marriage. I am going to talk in a moment about why it is important. But I do believe it is not disputable that adopting a same-sex marriage culture undermines and weakens marriage. We had two articulate African-American leaders speak to a group of us a few days ago. They pointed out how hard they worked to sustain marriage in their churches and in their communities, how important they believe it is that there be stable, strong families so that children can be raised in that environment, and how hard they have worked at it and how frustrated they are that we would think about changing the definition of marriage because they are convinced that it would undermine the classical marriage relationship. Let me just say one more thing parenthetically. I do not believe this debate should be negative. I do not believe it should put down any person, any group of people who have alternative lifestyles. Our Nation allows people to express themselves and live as they choose. I do believe, however, that it is important for us to have as the marital relationship in our country the ideal relationship of a man and a woman. That is what we have always done, and that is what we ought to proceed with now.”