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White House to Push For Ban on Gay Marriage?
Aired July 31, 2003 - 15:07 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.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We turn now to a very different subject. And that is the controversial issue of gay marriage. The Vatican is calling on Catholics and non-Catholics alike to wage a worldwide campaign against both gay marriages and gay adoptions. A 12-page document issued today in seven languages and supported by Pope John Paul II urges politicians to fight legislation aimed at legalizing same-sex unions and denounces adoptions by gays. Gay groups are sharply criticizing the document, saying it promotes intolerance and discrimination.
Well, the issue of gay marriage is also getting a great deal of attention at the White House. Just one day after Mr. Bush again said that he opposes gay marriages, a spokesman has said that the White House is considering the option of a constitutional ban on such unions.
CNN's White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us now with the very latest -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Judy.
Well, this issue is a key task for the president as he tries to walk down the line with conservatives on one side who, of course, do oppose gay marriage and, on the other side, the moderates who perhaps would appeal to the more compassion conservative agenda that the president has boasted since before his election in the year 2000. And although the president did call for tolerance in the Rose Garden yesterday, a nod to the moderates, he also signaled that his lawyers were looking to codify the sanctity of marriage better a man and a woman.
Now, the White House acknowledged that the a constitutional amendment doing just that is something that the White House is considering as an option. But they also said that they're waiting for a couple of states' court rulings to come clean and to hear from states like New Jersey and Massachusetts to see what they decide to help determine for the White House what would be needed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president strongly supports the Defense Of Marriage Act. And the president remains committed to making sure we protect the sanctity of marriage. So we are looking at what may be needed in the context of the court cases that are pending now.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BASH: Now, you just heard Scott McClellan refer to the Defend of Marriage Act. That's something that President Clinton signed into law in 1996 which says that the federal government does not recognize same sex-marriages and also gives states some leeway there.
Gay rights advocates are saying now that that's plenty, that is enough, no other law needs to be on the federal books. And, today, the Senate minority leader, Tom Daschle, read from the law and said he agreed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), MINORITY LEADER: "The word marriage means only a legal union between one man and one woman as a husband and wife. And the word spouses refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife."
You can't get any clearer than that. I support the current law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: And, Judy, polls show that a majority of Americans do oppose gay marriage at this point. So Republicans I've talked to today say that, as long as the president continues to walk that fine line and makes it clear that he believes that what people do in their personal lives behind closed doors is their business and still says he opposes same-sex marriage, he will be able to walk that very narrow line -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right, Dana, thank you very much.
BASH: Thank you.
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 July 31, 2003 - 15:07 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: We turn now to a very different subject. And that is the controversial issue of gay marriage. The Vatican is calling on Catholics and non-Catholics alike to wage a worldwide campaign against both gay marriages and gay adoptions. A 12-page document issued today in seven languages and supported by Pope John Paul II urges politicians to fight legislation aimed at legalizing same-sex unions and denounces adoptions by gays. Gay groups are sharply criticizing the document, saying it promotes intolerance and discrimination.
Well, the issue of gay marriage is also getting a great deal of attention at the White House. Just one day after Mr. Bush again said that he opposes gay marriages, a spokesman has said that the White House is considering the option of a constitutional ban on such unions.
CNN's White House correspondent Dana Bash joins us now with the very latest -- Dana.
DANA BASH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Judy.
Well, this issue is a key task for the president as he tries to walk down the line with conservatives on one side who, of course, do oppose gay marriage and, on the other side, the moderates who perhaps would appeal to the more compassion conservative agenda that the president has boasted since before his election in the year 2000. And although the president did call for tolerance in the Rose Garden yesterday, a nod to the moderates, he also signaled that his lawyers were looking to codify the sanctity of marriage better a man and a woman.
Now, the White House acknowledged that the a constitutional amendment doing just that is something that the White House is considering as an option. But they also said that they're waiting for a couple of states' court rulings to come clean and to hear from states like New Jersey and Massachusetts to see what they decide to help determine for the White House what would be needed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The president strongly supports the Defense Of Marriage Act. And the president remains committed to making sure we protect the sanctity of marriage. So we are looking at what may be needed in the context of the court cases that are pending now.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BASH: Now, you just heard Scott McClellan refer to the Defend of Marriage Act. That's something that President Clinton signed into law in 1996 which says that the federal government does not recognize same sex-marriages and also gives states some leeway there.
Gay rights advocates are saying now that that's plenty, that is enough, no other law needs to be on the federal books. And, today, the Senate minority leader, Tom Daschle, read from the law and said he agreed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TOM DASCHLE (D-SD), MINORITY LEADER: "The word marriage means only a legal union between one man and one woman as a husband and wife. And the word spouses refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife."
You can't get any clearer than that. I support the current law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BASH: And, Judy, polls show that a majority of Americans do oppose gay marriage at this point. So Republicans I've talked to today say that, as long as the president continues to walk that fine line and makes it clear that he believes that what people do in their personal lives behind closed doors is their business and still says he opposes same-sex marriage, he will be able to walk that very narrow line -- Judy.
WOODRUFF: All right, Dana, thank you very much.
BASH: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
