Republican North Carolina Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-5) attached an amendment to the Department of Defense’s budget for the 2012 fiscal year which reaffirms “Congress’ expectation that funds shall not be used for benefits, such as housing, education, medical services, transportation, etc., for same-sex couples on the same basis as opposite-sex married couples.”
The amendment passed in the House of Representatives 248 – 175.
All of North Carolina’s six Republicans voted in favor of the amendment as did Democrats Larry Kissell (NC-8), Mike McIntyre (NC-7) and Heath Shuler (NC-11) while G.K. Butterfield (NC-1), David Price (NC-4), Mel Watt (NC-12) and Brad Miller (NC-13) voted against it.
This amendment serves as an enforcement of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which reserves the right of individual states to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
Later this month, the legislative session will reconvene, and will possibly discuss a potential constitutional amendment which will attempt to define marriage in North Carolina as the union of a man and a woman. The amendment, if it passes through both chambers, will be placed on the 2012 ballot for North Carolina voters to decide.
Thank you Mrs. Foxx for your great work.I hope that you will run in 2012.