The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committe is postponing its vote on the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) to Nov. 10.
Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy announced at the Nov. 3 meeting that Senator Charles Grassely, the ranking Republican on the committee,asked that the vote on the Respect for Marriage Act (S. 598) be put on hold until next week.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the bill's chief sponsor, spoke on behalf of the bill, noting that DOMA was passed in 1996, before any state has legalized same sex marriages. She cited the 131,000 same sex couples currently legally married in the U.S., stating that DOMA denies their equal rights. The bill has 30 co-sponsors.
After the Nov. 10 vote, the bill will go to the full Senate for a vote.
