DOMA Complaint Filed Against Boehner

Clip description: "Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics against House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) regarding the $500,000 contracted by the Office of the General Counsel for the defense of the Defense of Marriage Act."

U.S. House Votes To Defund Medical Schools That Teach Abortion

The U.S. House has approved an amendment defunding medical schools that teach doctors how to perform abortions. The measure was sponsored by GOP Rep. Virginia Foxx (NC), whom you may recall for claiming that the murder of Matthew Shepard was a hoax.

The North Carolina Republican’s proposal was offered as an amendment to a bill that puts funding restrictions on a teaching program in President Barack Obama’s health care act. The amendment passed 234-182, over the objections of some Democrats who said it would prevent medical residents from learning a basic procedure in women’s health care. The bill must still be considered by the Senate.

U.S. House Lawyers File To Intervene In Massachusetts DOMA Appeal

GLAD reports via press release:

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives filed a motion to intervene in Gill v. Office of Personnel Management the multi-plaintiff challenge to Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), filed by Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) with co-counsel Foley Hoag LLP, Sullivan & Worcester and Jenner & Block in March 2009.

On July 8, 2010, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph L. Tauro ruled that Section 3 of DOMA is unconstitutional with respect to claims brought by the seven married same-sex couples and three widowers represented in the case. The case is now on appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

“As always, we are prepared to address whatever comes our way,” said Mary L. Bonauto, GLAD’s Civil Rights Project Director and lead attorney in Gill. “We are eager to move forward and end the serious harms that are experienced not only by our plaintiffs and their families, but by same-sex married couples all over this country.”

Read the full motion (PDF).

House Rejects Resolution Honoring Soldiers Who Got Osama Bin Laden

The GOP-dominated U.S. House has rejected a resolution honoring the soldiers who killed Osama Bin Laden. Yesterday the Senate unanimously approved a similar resolution.

The decision by GOP leaders follows new rules they enacted in January scrapping the tradition of congratulatory measures, which they complained clogged up the House floor. [snip] The lack of House action drew criticism from some Democrats, who said an exception to the new rules was more than warranted for the killing of America’s No. 1 enemy. “I don’t know why we’re not. Certainly we’ve passed a lot of resolutions for a lot less important things,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), whose district includes Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. “I think we ought to pass a resolution honoring the military and the president. How often do you get unadulterated, unabashed, absolute good news about something really important in this country, or any country?”

GOP Praises Paul Clement, Disses King & Spalding Over DOMA Withdrawal

"I want to express my gratitude to former Solicitor General Clement. I admire his unwavering commitment to his clients and his dedication to uphold the law – qualities that appear to be inconsequential at King and Spalding where politics and profit now appear to come first. King and Spalding’s cut and run approach is inexcusable and an insult to the legal profession. Less than one week after the contract was approved engaging the firm, they buckled under political pressure and bailed with little regard for their ethical and legal obligations. Fortunately, Clement does not share the same principles. I’m confident that with him at the helm, we will fight to ensure the courts – not the President – determine DOMA’s constitutionality." - Rep. Dan Lungren, chairman of the House Republicans Study Committee.

Paul Clement Quits King & Spalding To Continue House DOMA Defense

Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement has resigned from King & Spalding in order to continue as the GOP's defense attorney in the House DOMA battle. Earlier today Clement's now-former employers announced their withdrawal from the cases.

"I resign out of the firmly held belief that a representation should not be abandoned because the client's legal position is extremely unpopular in certain quarters. Defending unpopular clients is what lawyers do," Clement wrote to King & Spalding chairman Robert Hays. "I recognized from the outset that this statute implicates very sensitive issues that prompt strong views on both sides. But having undertaken the representation, I believe there is no honorable course for me but to complete it."

Read Clement's full resignation letter. (PDF)

BREAKING: Law Firm King & Spalding Backs Out Of House DOMA Defense

No confirmation is yet available, but the above HuffPo tweet is blowing up on Twitter right now. If true, stand by for NOM to get the vapors.

UPDATE: Politico confirms the story. King & Spalding has issued the below statement.

Today the firm filed a motion to withdraw from its engagement to represent the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group of the House of Representatives on the constitutional issues regarding Section III of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. Last week we worked diligently through the process required for withdrawal. In reviewing this assignment further, I determined that the process used for vetting this engagement was inadequate. Ultimately I am responsible for any mistakes that occurred and apologize for the challenges this may have created.

Stand by for the screaming outrage! I can't wait!

UPDATE II: The Human Rights Campaign reacts.

“King & Spalding has rightly chosen to put principle above politics in dropping its involvement in the defense of this discriminatory and patently unconstitutional law. We are pleased to see the firm has decided to stand on the right side of history and remain true to its core values. Speaker Boehner is likely to pursue continued defense of this odious law. However, law firms that value LGBT equality should remain committed to those values.”

UPDATE III: Lambda Legal's Jon Davidson reacts.

"Today, we learned once again that it is a bad idea to defend antigay bias and discrimination in court, and fewer and fewer people are willing to do it. We welcome the news that the law firm, King and Spalding, has decided to withdraw from the engagement to represent House leadership in defending DOMA. We were very surprised and disappointed when King and Spalding accepted this assignment, because they have been supporters of LGBT equality in the past. We thought we might have to face them in court as adversaries in our case, Golinski v. OPM - and we were ready to do that. But I guess their sense of justice got the better of them - and that's good news for all of us. Some attorney will no doubt accept this job and defend DOMA in court on behalf of the House leaders - that's the way the legal system works. We're just glad it is not a law firm that has shown respect and support for their own LGBT attorneys, for our community and for our fight for equality. We welcome the firm back to the right side of history."

Richard Socarides On DOMA Battle

Maggie Praises GOP's DOMA Team

"Paul Clement is one of the ablest litigators in the country, whose seven years acting as solicitor general is the longest period of continuous service since the 19th century. The solicitor general's job is arguing cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, and Clement has argued more than 50 such cases. As a friend of mine, himself an able litigator, put it: "He's the best. Boehner could not have made a better choice." And so, thanks to Boehner, Obama's plan to sabotage DOMA's defense has backfired. For the first time since Obama became president, we will have a legal eagle in the courtroom defending DOMA who actually wants to win the case." - Maggie Gallagher, writing for Real Clear Politics.

$500,000 To Defend DOMA

According to a press release from the Human Rights Campaign, the GOP's contract with the law firm hired to defend DOMA stipulates a maximum payment of $500,000. Oh, but it could be more.

In order to defend discrimination by any means necessary, House Republican leaders have contracted with the law firm King & Spalding at the rate of $520 an hour to argue that they’re right to deny recognition to legally married couples, according to the contract made public today. The document caps the cost at $500,000 but can easily be increased upon further negotiations with the firm. “DOMA inflicts a great cost on same-sex couples but now its defense is burdening taxpayers to the tune of $520 per hour,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “The firm of King & Spalding and their attorney Paul Clement should be ashamed at every penny earned in trying to justify discrimination against American families.” There are currently at least nine cases challenging the constitutionality of section 3 of DOMA which bars federal recognition of marriages between same-sex couples. If the House were to intervene in all nine that would mean less than 100 billable hours would be spent per case in order to hit the $500,000 cap.

Where are the jobs?

House Speaker John Boehner To Divert DOJ Funds To Pay For DOMA Defense

Remember Nancy Pelosi's letter to John Boehner in which she demanded to know how he was going to pay for the GOP's defense of DOMA? Here's how:

House Speaker John Boehner said he intends to divert funding from the Justice Department to the U.S. House so Congress can defend the federal law that bars recognition of same-sex marriage. The Ohio Republican disclosed this in a letter to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who is strongly opposed to Congress going to court to defend the 1996 law. An estimate on court costs was not given. [snip] Boehner asked the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group -- consisting of the top leaders of Congress -- to defend the law in court. The GOP members of the group sided with Boehner. "By the president's action through the attorney general we have no choice," Boehner's letter says. "The House now faces that additional burden and cost." Boehner said he has directed the House's counsel and the House Administration Committee to ensure that there are "sufficient resources" and expertise, including an outside lawyer if necessary, to defend the law.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, Boehner has retained former Dubya Solicitor General Paul Clement to defend the cases now in the courts. Clement is now with the private firm King & Spaulding. Via HRC's press release:

“Not only are House Republican leaders defending the indefensible, they’ve brought in a high priced attorney to deny federal recognition to loving, married couples,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “Speaker Boehner appears ready to go to great lengths, and the great expense of a high-power law firm, to try to score some cheap political points on the backs of same-sex couples. King & Spaulding were not required to take up this defense and should be ashamed of associating themselves with an effort to deny rights to their fellow citizens.”

There are presently nine DOMA Section Three-related cases pending.

UPDATE: A tipster points out that King & Spaulding has a 95% rating from the Human Rights Campaign, something the law firm trumpets on its own website.

King & Spalding is committed to having the brightest and most diverse lawyers it can find, including members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community. We work hard to foster and maintain an environment where our lawyers can provide the highest level of legal service while being true to themselves in the process. The firm's non-discrimination policy prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Further, domestic partner benefits are offered for same-sex couples.

Does that sound like a company that really wants to get involved in the GOP's anti-gay bigotry?

VIDEO: House DOMA Hearing

Over at Wonk Room, our pal Zack Ford has compiled some of the testimony from last week's House DOMA hearing. Ford quotes Maggie Gallagher's usual nonsense:

If, in fact, marriage, as a public and legal institution…is oriented towards protecting children by increasing the likelihood they have a mother and father, then same-sex couples do not fit, and conversely, if same-sex couples fit the definition of marriage, then marriage really is no longer about responsible procreation in the sense.

Chaos In House As Dems Almost Trick GOP Into Approving Severe Tea Party Budget

House Democrats almost pulled a fast one on the GOP today. Talking Points Memo reports:

The vote was on the Republican Study Committee's alternative budget -- a radical plan that annihilates the social contract in America by putting the GOP budget on steroids. Deeper tax cuts for the wealthy, more severe entitlement rollbacks. Normally something like that would fail by a large bipartisan margin in either the House or the Senate. Conservative Republicans would vote for it, but it would be defeated by a coalition of Democrats and more moderate Republicans. But today that formula didn't hold. In an attempt to highlight deep divides in the Republican caucus. Dems switched their votes -- from "no" to "present."

Panic ensued. In the House, legislation passes by a simple majority of members voting. The Dems took themselves out of the equation, leaving Republicans to decide whether the House should adopt the more-conservative RSC budget instead of the one authored by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan. As Dems flipped to present, Republicans realized that a majority of their members had indeed gone on the record in support of the RSC plan -- and if the vote closed, it would pass. That would be a slap in the face to Ryan, and a politically toxic outcome for the Republican party.

The bill ended up barely failing by a vote of 139-119. All Democrats voted "present."

Rep. Jerrold Nadler At DOMA Hearing

Rep Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) opened this morning's DOMA hearing with a blistering denouncement of the entire issue.

(Via - Good As You)

Rep. Joe Crowley: Speechless

Watch Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) take an unusual method to denounce the GOP's spending plan.

House DOMA Hearings Begin

Metro Weekly's Chris Geidner tweets out the above photo as this morning's GOP hearing on defending DOMA begins. You can watch the hearing live here or follow along on Twitter at the hashtag #DefendingDOMA.

Maggie Gallagher To Testify Tomorrow At House DOMA Defense Hearing

Tea Party-backed Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), who has called the president "an enemy of humanity," will tomorrow hold a U.S. House hearing about the GOP's plan to defend DOMA. Topping Franks' list of witnesses is NOM chaircow Maggie Gallagher. The American Independent reports:

The U.S. House Subcommittee on the Constitution is scheduled to hold a hearing Friday titled “Defending Marriage,” called by subcommittee chairman Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), who has recently called for the impeachment of President Barack Obama because of his decision to order his administration to no longer defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). People For the American Way Senior Fellow Peter Montgomery predicts Franks’ hearing will be a parade of “extremists.” Montgomery told TAI during a phone interview that Rep. Franks is “at the far-right fringe of the far right.” Montgomery also assumed the only purpose of the Franks Defending Marriage hearing would be “To promote that far-right agenda and provide them propaganda against the administration from here until 2012.” Franks is the founder of an official Focus on the Family affiliate called the Center for Arizona Policy (CAP). Formerly known as the Arizona Family Research Institute, the CAP was instrumental in the passage of Arizona’s Prop 102 adding an amendment to Arizona’s constitution defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

Also on the witness list is NOM favorite and Prop 8 proponent Edward Whelan, who yesterday published an article denouncing the "outright illegality' of Judge Vaughn Walker's actions during the trial. The third witness, Carlos Ball, is a relatively unknown Rutgers professor and author who has published several pro-gay columns on Huffington Post.

"In God We Trust" Bill Advances

Yesterday the House Judiciary Committee approved the bill requiring the placement of "In God We Trust" on all "public buildings, public schools, and other government institutions." The bill was introduced by Tea Party-backed GOP Rep. Randy Forbes (VA), who in recent years introduced bills demanding that the federal government "recognize the Holy Bible as the inerrant word of God." Forbes' bill has a good shot of passage in the full House.

Perkins: We Can't Afford Gay Marriage

"Fortunately, Republican leaders understand that there are plenty of reasons to stick up for DOMA. Defending marriage is not only in the nation's cultural interest--it's in our economic interest. A few years ago, Georgia State University put together a cost analysis of marital breakdown. By their calculations, America spends $112 billion a year just from divorce and out-of-wedlock births. That's more than $1 trillion each decade! In other words, it would cost the country a lot more not to defend marriage than it would to invest in it now.

"What's more, if DOMA falls, the U.S. budget will become a free-for-all for domestic partner benefits and other perks that the law currently prevents. According to experts, the price tag--just for same-sex partner benefits--is roughly $670 million over the next ten years. Add that to the cost of family breakdown, and suddenly the legal fees don't seem that much. Liberals America can't afford to defend marriage--but in reality, we can't afford not to!" - Family Research Council spokesbigot Tony Perkins, in a press release mocking the "stinginess" of Democrats who don't want to pay for defending DOMA.

NEW YORK: Tea Party House Candidate Wants To Bus "Lazy Blacks" To Farms

Tea Party-backed House candidate Jack Davis has New York's GOP leadership spinning in full reverse to disassociate themselves from racist remarks he made in recent interviews.

Congressional candidate Jack Davis shocked local Republican leaders in a recent interview when he suggested that Latino farmworkers be deported -- and that African-Americans from the inner city be bused to farm country to pick the crops. Several sources who were in the Feb. 20 endorsement interview with Davis confirmed his comments, which echo those he made to the Tonawanda News in 2008, when he said: "We have a huge unemployment problem with black youth in our cities. Put them on buses, take them out there [to the farms] and pay them a decent wage; they will work." When Davis repeated those sentiments in the recent interview, the Republican leaders -- who later delivered the party endorsement for the vacant seat in the 26th Congressional District to Assemblywoman Jane L. Corwin of Clarence -- said they couldn't believe what they were hearing. "I was thunderstruck," said Amherst GOP Chairman Marshall Wood. "Maybe in 1860 that might have been seen by some as an appropriate comment, but not now."

Davis is running in the special election to replace disgraced GOP Rep. Chris "Craigslist" Lee. He's run unsuccessfully for the U.S. House three times as a Democrat, but is running this time for the GOP/Tea Party.