By Peter J. Smith
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 17, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – President Barack Obama will announce today that he is signing a presidential memorandum requiring the federal government to provide healthcare and other benefits to unmarried domestic partners of federal employees, including homosexual partners.
A White House press schedule reveals that Obama intends to sign the memorandum at 5:45 PM and make a few brief remarks about the order.
The President’s memorandum follows in the wake of angry denunciations and threats to revoke financial and political support from Obama by homosexual activists, who believe that the president is compromising on their agenda. Earlier in May, the White House quietly dropped all references to campaign pledges by Obama to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and provide over 1000 federal benefits currently given to married couples to homosexual couples.
Yesterday the New York Times ran an editorial denouncing the Obama Administration, saying it “needs a new direction on gay rights.”
The editorial accused the administration of striking “a blow for the other side last week” when the Justice Department filed a brief in support of DOMA in a lawsuit brought by a homosexual couple, who received a marriage license in California before the state constitution was amended to ban same-sex “marriage.” The case before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Southern Division demands the federal court throw out Proposition 8 and DOMA on the basis that both violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution.
The Times excoriated Obama, calling the Justice Department’s motion to dismiss the case “a disturbing brief.”
In addition, on Monday the White House received an angry letter from Joe Solmonese, president of the homosexual lobby group, Human Rights Campaign, demanding that Obama fulfill his campaign promise and submit legislation to Congress repealing DOMA.
DOMA restricts the federal government from using the language of “marriage” and “spouse” from describing anything other than the union of a man and a woman, and guarantees that states and other political entities within the US do not have to recognize same-sex “marriages” contracted elsewhere.
Pro-family advocates have responded to the president’s new plan by questioning its legality. According to the Family Research Council, the presidential order “appears to be a violation of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and clearly violates the spirit of the federal law.”
“Ironically, Mr. Obama has pursued an aggressive pro-homosexual agenda – but his actions to date are, apparently, insufficient for the radical homosexuals pushing their extreme demands,” said Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council. He asserted the presidential memorandum effectively “uses taxpayer money to placate an angry portion of his base at the expense of the rule of law” adding that FRC would be reviewing the legality of the order, which has no legislative mandate.
“However, beyond the potential legal violations, it's troubling that the President would act in response to homosexual groups which are threatening to withdraw from an upcoming fundraiser,” continued Perkins. “Rather than placing politics above the law, he should abide by the Defense of Marriage Act and fulfill his oath to 'faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.'”
See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
President Obama Declares June 2009 ‘LGBT Pride Month’
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jun/09060208.html
White House Drops Obama Opposition to Defense of Marriage Act from Website
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/may/09051505.html
Summary of Obama Actions Against Life, Family, Faith in First 50 Days of Presidency
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/apr/09040114.html
Obama Administration Announces Radical Homosexualist Agenda on White House Website
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/jan/09012109.html