Marriage Protection Amendment

MARRIAGE PROTECTION AMENDMENT -- (House of Representatives - September 30, 2004)

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Mr. ADERHOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Marriage Protection Amendment. I am proud to be counted among the cosponsors of this constitutional amendment this afternoon.

In the history of our country, I do not believe anyone has ever said that our system of democracy would be easy. Our Constitution was designed to set us on a path, but it also gave us the ability to change that path when it became necessary. Our Founding Fathers wanted to ensure that we took that process very seriously. They set the bar very high.

Today, many of us here in this body believe that the time has come to change paths, and many people in our country agree. It is time that their voices are heard in this debate.

Today on the floor we have heard a litany of questions about why we are considering this issue. Yes, there are important bills that need to be considered: health care, homeland security, education, jobs. All of them need to be addressed, and no one would argue with that.

But how could anyone say that protecting marriage and the future of the American family is not a top priority? Marriage and the family is the very foundation of our society. It is the activist judges in Massachusetts and Oregon that have compelled the Congress to act, not the other way around.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation this afternoon as we support the marriage between a man and a woman.