FMA TIMING/STRATEGY: From the Washington Post

After proceeding cautiously for weeks, the Republican-led Congress is moving full-speed on proposals to bar same-sex marriage even though leaders in both houses acknowledge they lack the votes to pass them. ...

The issue's accelerated pace is especially dramatic in the House. Two weeks ago Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) said he did not want the House or Senate to vote on a constitutional amendment until they had enough votes to pass it.

But he told reporters Wednesday that the traditional notion of marriage "is under attack" and "we intend to fight it on all fronts" this summer. Before Congress adjourns July 23 for a five-week recess, DeLay said, the House will vote on a bill that would bar federal courts from ruling on state laws defining marriage.

"At the same time, we expect to go forward sometime in September" with a vote on a constitutional amendment similar or identical to the Senate version, DeLay said. He said he had "no idea" whether the 435-member House could muster the necessary two-thirds majority. Some senior Republicans say the goal is unattainable.

"I'm not even sure they can get a simple majority," Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) said yesterday. Davis said he and numerous GOP colleagues will vote against the proposed constitutional amendment, as will most House Democrats. ...

DeLay spokesman Stuart Roy said the House will act on the proposed constitutional change even if it lacks a two-thirds majority because "voters want people to be on the record" on the gay marriage issue. Asked why the vote would be held in September -- when the presidential and congressional election campaigns will hit full stride -- Roy said, "you want to have a vote on it while there's a window of opportunity" in which Americans are paying attention to politics and public issues. ...

In a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, 59 percent of Americans said it should be illegal for gay couples to marry, with nearly half of all respondents saying they felt "strongly" about the issue. But 53 percent said state laws should govern such questions, while 44 percent said a constitutional amendment is needed.

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posted by Eve at 1:39 PM | link

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