defense of marriage act after years of legal battles here we are. they touch every aspect of life. your partner is sick. social security. it is pervasive. it s not a federal sphere it s not only a tax question. as justice kennedy said 1100 stat tuts. it effects every area of life. in defense of doma former solicitor paul clemens said when the bill was being considered back in the mid 90s lawmakers triple checked with the justice department to make sure it was constitutional and they were assured that it was. many fast forward to this. we saw same-sex marriage is an emotional issue for supporters and critics. now we must wait until june to
carry, and the fec approved viagra, and it is the anniversary of guys denying that they ever use it. this is viewpoint. [ theme music ] john: good evening, i m john fugelsang. this is viewpoint great to have you with us. back when abraham lincoln ran for the senate he told the hometown crowd that a house divided against itself cannot stand. lincoln was talking about a country split on slavery, and the same house divide was a play in the supreme court. only this time the issue was gay marriage. they heard arguments on whether doma was constitutional. the key issue as expressed in the act s own words is whether, and i quote . . . now so far nine states and the district of columbia have decided the answer to that question is no. but as far as the federal government is concerned well parts of the federal government the answer is still yes, and that seens same-sex couples in those nine states and the district aren t entitled to federal benefits or the benefit of federal la