WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-16) issued the following statement on the day oral arguments were heard before the U.S. Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
“In 1996, I voted against DOMA, one of only 67 House Members to do so. This law was a huge mistake then, and remains one today. I have repeatedly cosponsored a repeal of DOMA and the arguments at the Supreme Court today will hopefully lead to the law being struck down making repeal a moot point. The federal government should not be in the business of discrimination and the suppression of benefits and rights. I am hopeful we are witnessing the last days of this ill-conceived law.”