The Obama administration is following through on its relatively newfound support of gay marriage. On Friday, the administration filed a legal brief with the Justice Department that urges the Supreme Court to strike down a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act.
The brief formally asks the court to declare unconstitutional a specific part of DOMA called Section 3. That's the part that bars recognition of same-sex marriages for purposes of federal benefits such as income taxes or federal employee benefits. The brief points out that there are more than 1,000 federal statues and programs that come into play depending on a person's marital status.
The Obama administration notes that some of these couples are legally married so targeting them is "a harsh form of discrimination that bears no relation to their ability to contribute to society." Moreover, it violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection, the brief states.
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