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Bush Asks Congress for Amendment Banning Gay Marriage
Aired February 24, 2004 - 11:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, ANCHOR: And back now to our top story. President Bush announcing that he would like to see a national amendment banning same-sex marriage. He called on Congress to get started on this right away.
What happens next? Let's go to Capitol Hill and bring in our Joe Johns.
Joe, good morning.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
This has the potential to be a real tough slog here on Capitol Hill. The House speaker has said there's a strong possibility of a vote on this amendment some time in the House this year.
The Senate majority leader would also like to bring it up, too.
However, the big problem is it requires a two-thirds majority in both Houses. That's problematic, particularly in the United States Senate.
One of the big problems, of course, is social conservatives are concerned about the language that has been introduced. This is an amendment introduced my Marilyn Musgrave, congresswoman, of Colorado. She's on a plane on her way back from Colorado right now.
The issue is whether it goes far enough, whether it goes too far. Many social conservatives have said they don't think it actually goes far enough.
So that's the big question, whether the Senate and the House can muster the two-thirds majority to send this on to the states. A lot of people here on Capitol Hill are saying there just probably are not the votes particularly in the Senate to do it -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And what about other proposals out there besides Congresswoman Musgrave's?
JOHNS: Well, there are some other -- there is talk of changing the language just a bit to make it a little bit more inclusive, to make it a little bit clearer.
I can read you Musgrave's language: "Marriage in the United States shall can sift only of a union between a man and woman. Neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any state or state or federal law shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidence thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups."
About 50, 51 words. Pretty simple stuff, some people say. But there's still a question as to clear meaning of it, Daryn.
KAGAN: Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. Joe, thank you for that that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 24, 2004 - 11:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, ANCHOR: And back now to our top story. President Bush announcing that he would like to see a national amendment banning same-sex marriage. He called on Congress to get started on this right away.
What happens next? Let's go to Capitol Hill and bring in our Joe Johns.
Joe, good morning.
JOE JOHNS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
This has the potential to be a real tough slog here on Capitol Hill. The House speaker has said there's a strong possibility of a vote on this amendment some time in the House this year.
The Senate majority leader would also like to bring it up, too.
However, the big problem is it requires a two-thirds majority in both Houses. That's problematic, particularly in the United States Senate.
One of the big problems, of course, is social conservatives are concerned about the language that has been introduced. This is an amendment introduced my Marilyn Musgrave, congresswoman, of Colorado. She's on a plane on her way back from Colorado right now.
The issue is whether it goes far enough, whether it goes too far. Many social conservatives have said they don't think it actually goes far enough.
So that's the big question, whether the Senate and the House can muster the two-thirds majority to send this on to the states. A lot of people here on Capitol Hill are saying there just probably are not the votes particularly in the Senate to do it -- Daryn.
KAGAN: And what about other proposals out there besides Congresswoman Musgrave's?
JOHNS: Well, there are some other -- there is talk of changing the language just a bit to make it a little bit more inclusive, to make it a little bit clearer.
I can read you Musgrave's language: "Marriage in the United States shall can sift only of a union between a man and woman. Neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any state or state or federal law shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidence thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups."
About 50, 51 words. Pretty simple stuff, some people say. But there's still a question as to clear meaning of it, Daryn.
KAGAN: Joe Johns on Capitol Hill. Joe, thank you for that that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
