On Friday, House Speaker John Boehner released a statement saying that he will “convene a meeting of the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group for the purpose of initiating action by the House to defend” the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). “It is regrettable that the Obama Administration has opened this divisive issue at a time when Americans want their leaders to focus on jobs and the challenges facing our economy,” the Speaker continued.

The Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group is a five-member panel consisting of the Speaker of the House, Majority Leader, Majority Whip, Minority Leader, and Minority Whip. Under House rules, the advisory group has the authority to instruct the non-partisan office of the House General Counsel to take legal action on behalf of the House of Representatives.

I commend Speaker Boehner for his leadership on this issue and for demonstrating that the House of Representatives still abides by the Constitution of the United States.  The Speaker’s bold decision to protect the rule of law stands in stark contrast to President Obama’s abdication of his constitutional oath to defend our laws. I am hopeful that with the Congress now in charge of the defense of DOMA, the courts will find that traditional marriage serves a legitimate governmental interest and that the people should have the right to define the institution of marriage as they, not activist judges, desire.