Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Respect for Marriage Act – which would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) – by a vote of 10 to 8. He is a cosponsor of the bill.
“The repeal of DOMA is long overdue,” Bennet said. “This has far-reaching implications – from tax filing and Social Security to the treatment of our returning veterans when they access their VA benefits. This important step gives us new momentum in the fight to grant same-sex married couples the same federal recognition other married couples, including my wife and I, enjoy.”
The Respect for Marriage Act would allow married same-sex couples to receive federal marriage benefits, including filing joint federal income taxes, Social Security spousal benefits, family health and pension benefits for federal employees and other benefits heterosexual married couples enjoy.
In addition to supporting the repeal of DOMA, Bennet also championed the successful repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”