Boehner spent $3M+ in public funds to defend DOMA. Now, as the case hits the Supreme Court...

[Tx4obama]

Boehner spent $3M+ in public funds to defend DOMA. Now, as the case hits the Supreme Court, he's gone silent
Mar 27, 2013 at 10:00 am

House Republicans have paid former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement $3 million to defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, but as the legal challenge is heard at Supreme Court on Wednesday morning, GOP leaders have remained silent on the matter.

In 2011, House Speaker John Beohner (R-OH) convened the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG) and voted to direct the Office of General Counsel to defend DOMA, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. The decision came shortly after President Obama’s Department of Justice announced that it could not defend the unconstitutional measure.

But in light of growing public support for marriage equality, prominent Republicans have been hesitant to discuss the law publicly. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) have yet to issue a press release or Tweet in favor of DOMA and a Nexis search conducted on Wednesday morning showed that neither man has provided quotes to the media (though Boehner briefly addressed the matter last week, when confronted by a reporter). On Wednesday, GOP leadership wouldn’t appear in an NPR story about a case, refusing to explain why they’re spending millions in tax payer dollars. As NPR’s Nina Totenberg reported:

Those defending the law have been strangely unwilling to make their arguments outside court. Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) declined to be interviewed for this broadcast, as did Clement and leading House members who voted for the law.

-snip-

Full post here: http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2013/03/27/1780001/boehner-silent-doma/

UPDATE:

Boehner’s office has issued a comment to Talking Points Memo: “A law’s constitutionality is determined by the courts — not by the Department of Justice,” he said. “As long as the Obama Administration refuses to exercise its responsibility, we will.”

[dballance]

1. I Hope Boehner Remembers That Statement When All Those Sheriffs and States...

Are either ignoring new gun regulation laws or passing state bills to incriminate their local law enforcement officers for trying to uphold them.

[SunSeeker]

2. Rachel said Clement ran out of the Supreme Court without talking to media.

Paul Clement. What a douchebag. First he soaks up $3 million from taxpayers for basically writing a few briefs, then he won't even defend his arguments in favor of DOMA to reporters.