News

Log Cabin Republicans Call on Senate to Stop Playing Politics with the Constitution

Senate Hearings Continue on Anti-family Amendment even as Sponsors Admit it Lacks Necessary Votes

June 22, 2004

(Washington, DC) – As the Senate Judiciary Committee convenes to once again consider an anti-family Constitutional amendment, the Log Cabin Republicans call on the Senate to reject any attempt to write discrimination into our Constitution and return to the business of the people. "Log Cabin Republicans and the majority of Americans oppose any attempt to write discrimination into the Constitution. Our Senators should be doing the people's business instead of wasting time with debate on a discriminatory amendment that supporters admit lacks the necessary votes for passage," said Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director Patrick Guerriero.

Last week, supporters of the anti-family amendment announced plans to bring the amendment to the floor for a vote in mid-July, while at the same time admitting that they lack the votes necessary for passage. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) told Roll Call that he had no more than 48 votes, far short of the 67 necessary.

"Not one more dime of taxpayer money should be wasted debating a discriminatory amendment that its sponsors already admit has no chance of passing. It is an abuse of the Constitutional process, and a disservice to the American people, to ignore the important business pending before the United States Senate in order to play politics with our nation's founding document," continued Guerriero.

The move by Senate to consider the anti-family Constitutional amendment adds to an already over-loaded Senate calendar. The Senate only has a few short weeks left to consider an appropriations bill for agriculture, commerce, justice, defense, energy, foreign operations, homeland security, labor, health and human services, and education among others. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) says 17 bills need to be passed by the U.S. Senate, but only 42 legislative days remain this year. Yet, Frist is squandering valuable time with the anti-family Constitutional amendment. "Our Senate should be debating how to fund efforts to secure our homeland, to support our troops in Iraq, and to strengthen our nation's economy. Every moment spent debating this discriminatory amendment comes at the expense of these priorities. Our President should be calling on the Senate to address these priorities rather than calling on the Senate to help the radical right wage war on gay and lesbian families," said Guerriero.

On March 10th the Log Cabin Republicans launched a $1,000,000 television, print and lobbying campaign against the anti-family Constitutional amendment. The television ad, which features Vice President Dick Cheney, can be viewed at www.logcabin.org.