House directs Pentagon to uphold DOMA law on gay marriage

WASHINGTON (RNS) House lawmakers voted Thursday (July 7) to order the
Pentagon to uphold the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that defines
marriage as between one man and one woman.

In an amendment to a larger Defense Department funding bill, the
House voted 248-175 to restrict the Pentagon from granting same-sex
couples the same rights or benefits as married couples. The amendment is
also aimed at keeping military chaplains from officiating at same-sex
weddings.

The move comes at the Pentagon appears poised to lift the ban on
gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. After the Obama
administration called the 1996 law unconstitutional and signaled it will
no longer defend it in court, conservatives said the Pentagon needs
strict guidance on following the law.