WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Defense of Marriage Act – the law that denies legally-married gay couples equal protection under federal law – is unconstitutional. The Court also dismissed the case challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8 – California’s gay marriage ban – thereby upholding a lower court’s ruling that overturned the ban.
“I am extremely pleased that the Supreme Court sided with equality and fairness by overturning the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act and dismissing the Prop 8 case. Today, the Supreme Court righted a grievous historical wrong, reaffirming what we already knew to be true: that loving, committed couples should all receive the same rights and benefits from the federal government regardless of orientation. Thousands of Connecticut couples legally married in our state have been waiting for recognition by their government, and I am pleased that their marriages will soon be considered just as valid as my own.”