Republicans to force issue of gay 'marriage'

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Senate Republicans plan to use a hearing this week to force Democrats to take firm positions on same-sex "marriages," a prospect that could prove particularly dicey for some presidential candidates.

Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican and member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, scheduled a hearing tomorrow on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to find out if it has been threatened by recent court rulings.

"I believe we must do whatever it takes to safeguard the institution of marriage and ensure that the principles defined in DOMA remain the law of the land," said Mr. Cornyn, chairman of the panel's subcommittee on the Constitution, civil rights and property rights.

"This hearing will remind people why traditional marriage is so important for a healthy society, and will determine the extent of the threat posed to DOMA by judicial activism in light of recent court decisions and pending cases."

If Republicans determine that DOMA is under threat, they said they will consider drafting an amendment to the Constitution that would inoculate it from any future court rulings.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Republican, has said he strongly supports turning DOMA into a constitutional amendment. After initially shying away from the issue, President Bush said an amendment remains an option he would consider.

A spokesman from the Howard Dean campaign, former Vermont governor and a Democratic front-runner, said yesterday that Mr. Dean supports overturning DOMA and strongly opposes an amendment.

David Smith, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, called DOMA and the current effort "a mean-spirited attack on gay families."

"Gay families are living in every corner of every county in every state of this country," Mr. Smith said. "Many of these families are raising children and they simply want the same rights, benefits and security granted to other families."