Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) continues his quest to impose discrimination upon same-sex couples in the military through the Defense Authorization Act. He and 85 of his House colleagues have called upon the Senate to maintain the amendments he and Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) added, which extend the Defense of Marriage Act to prohibit same-sex marriages from being performed by military chaplains or on military bases:
We recognize that the national Defense Authorization Act is well underway and needed funds for our troops should be expedited without delay. However, we respectfully request that an amendment similar to that passed by the House be included to ensure that this administration follow the law as written and comply with DOMA. It is not the place of any citizen of this country to pick and choose which laws will be obeyed. We expect citizens sworn to defend those laws to set the example in their application.
Akin’s request is an overreach that directly targets servicemembers’ religious liberty. The Defense of Marriage Act defines what is recognized by the government as marriage, but in no way prohibits same-sex marriages from being performed.