"Our Nation Must Defend the Sanctity of Marriage"
-- President George W. Bush, State of the Union (Jan 20, 2004)

In a speech interrupted numerous times by applause -- primarily from his fellow Republicans and supporters who were in attendance -- President George W. Bush said he would support a constitutional amendment to ban homosexual marriage if that is what it takes to stop what he calls "activist judges" from "redefining marriage by court order."

"A strong America must also value the institution of marriage," the president said. "I believe we should respect individuals as we take a principled stand for one of the most fundamental, enduring institutions of our civilization."

Bush noted that Congress already took a stand on this issue when it passed the Defense of Marriage Act, which was signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996. And while that statute protects marriage as the union of a man and a woman, and declares that one state may not redefine marriage for other states, Bush says there is a fly in the ointment.

"Activist judges ... have begun redefining marriage by court order, without regard for the will of the people and their elected representatives," he said. "On an issue of such great consequence, the people's voice must be heard."

The president stated that if judges insist on forcing their "arbitrary" will upon the people, the only alternative left to the people would be the constitutional process. "The outcome of this debate is important -- and so is the way we conduct it," he said. "The same moral tradition that defines marriage also teaches that each individual has dignity and value in God's sight."

Reaction from Pro-Family Leaders
Legislation in support of a Federal Marriage Amendment currently has 108 bi-partisan co-sponsors, as well as the support of many religious and ethnic groups. Representative Marilyn Musgrave, lead sponsor for the bill, says Bush's words during the SOTU message coincide with what he has told her personally.

"The fact that Bush spoke about the definition of marriage [during his national address] underscores the resolve of the American people to preserve the institution as it has been known for over 200 years," the Colorado Republican says. "The one-woman, one-man vanguard -- supported by the majority of states, the Congress, and even President Bill Clinton -- is being assaulted."

Echoing what the president stated, Musgrave says a constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage is "the one check the American people and their elected officials have to counter activist judges."

Sandy Rios

The president of Concerned Women for America is praising President Bush for defending marriage, calling it a "clarion call" that "can do nothing less than embolden Christians and conservatives."

Sandy Rios notes Bush's three-pronged approach outlined in the speech. "We are pleased to see the president challenge the courts to restrain themselves from further judicial activism, remind challengers that the definition of marriage is already clearly stated in the Defense of Marriage Act, and lay out his plan for action should the will of the people be denied," she says in a press release.

The president's guidance in the battle for biblical marriage is critical, she says. "The American people will stand firm in their resolve to defend marriage as the union of one man and one woman -- if the president will continue his leadership on this issue," she says. "A Federal Marriage Amendment may very well be the solution down the line, but not until we get an amendment worth fighting for and a Congress willing to fight for it."

Many pro-family leaders wanted a more aggressive show of support for a Federal Marriage Amendment. One of those is Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, who explains what the pro-family lobby wanted to hear.

Tony Perkins

"We're saying the president should immediately call upon the Congress to pass an amendment this year to the Constitution codifying into law what nature and history have taught us -- that marriage is between a man and a woman," the FRC head says, adding that he was "somewhat disappointed" by the president's remarks.

"Sixty-four days ago, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court tossed a 'cultural time bomb' into the public square when they mandated the legislature create these homosexual marriages," Perkins says. "Well, this evening the president in his State of the Union address promised to help after the bomb goes off and the damage is done."

Perkins says now is the time for the president to give his full support to the marriage amendment -- not later.

Campaign for Working Families director Gary Bauer was among the estimated 60 million Americans who watched the president's message. Bauer says he noticed the cautious approach Bush took on the marriage issue, but says nevertheless he was glad to see some hope for help.

"I was very pleased to see the president's strong statement on the marriage issue," Bauer says. "There was a little bit of wiggle room there over strategy, but I think it was unambiguous in the sense that he is committed to a constitutional amendment -- if that's what it takes."

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