John Boehner: DOJ Funds Should Pay To Defend Marriage

WASHINGTON — House Speaker John Boehner says the Justice Department should reimburse the House for court costs of defending a ban on gay marriage.

In a letter Monday to Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, the Ohio Republican says he shares her concern over the cost of defending the law in court and intends to "redirect" some of the department's money to the House as repayment. Boehner, who is traveling in Pakistan, does not say how much money is at issue or how he would force the department to repay the House.

In February, President Barack Obama instructed the Department of Justice not to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. A special House panel voted along partisan lines to take up that responsibility. Proponents of gay marriage say the law is discriminatory.

Comments

[Patrick Flannery]

04:09 PM on 04/19/2011

Atta boy, Boehner. We must steadfastly defend marriage against people who want to get married.

[Tom Joad]

10:53 PM on 04/18/2011

"Boehner, who is traveling in Pakistan..­."

...see...I told ya he was Teapubliban...

[NoWayMan]

10:00 PM on 04/18/2011

Boeher!!
seriously!!

quit wasting everyone's time and money with this nonsense.
so far all you've been doing is wasting time and money

where's a budget that doesn't look like a greedy 2nd grader put it together?
and where are those jobs?

[ksmith111]

07:50 PM on 04/18/2011

Overcharging American citizen, and give discount to people who do not live in this country is atrocious; not to discriminate against anyone, I love diversity and it seems Federal and Local officials are using education as their own piggy bank. Every time there is an election in California we vote to increase taxes to fund schooling; the measure passes then after a few years the funds are diverted; is it a Democrat or Republican problem?

[ksmith111]

07:20 PM on 04/18/2011

Let's face it the Republican agenda is organized slavery.

[Janicot]

07:14 PM on 04/18/2011

I guess this is one thing the Libertarian Koch brothers won't foot the bill for...

[lulubelle1956]

06:36 PM on 04/18/2011

Mr. Boehner wants the taxpayers to pay for his high-priced private legal fees to pursue an appeal of a law that DOJ determined will not win on appeal? All I can say at this time of Passover and Easter is what Chutzpah, and he is smelling like a rotten colored easter egg. If it is that important a culture issue to pursue by the GOP/TP, then Boehner can solicit voluntary contributions from the people who want to pursue the appeal to pay for his privately-retained high price lawyer, which contributions should not be tax deductible.

[Janicot]

07:00 PM on 04/18/2011

I'm not sure what jurisdiction the House has for assuming the defense of DOMA 's constitutionality in court. Isn't that considered a big government over-reach?

[lulubelle1956]

07:28 PM on 04/18/2011

I don't know either, but when Holder announced the government was not pursuing DOMA, Boehner immediately announced Congress would. Maybe he figured out that Congress can't, and is now pursuing it essentially on an amicus curae basis through a retained private attorney, but I don't know what standing they would have to do that. His mind is one big mystery, or else, a big black hole.

[AP209]

06:04 PM on 04/18/2011

How about the homophobes pay the court fees? That sounds much better.

[Janicot]

07:01 PM on 04/18/2011

Collection plates are being passed as we speak...

[Jim Anderson]

06:02 PM on 04/18/2011

Marriage doesn't need defending.

[gvs1066]

05:55 PM on 04/18/2011

A patriot always takes time to criticize the US government from a foreign country. Not even Nixon would do that.

[dwedge]

05:54 PM on 04/18/2011

Use DOJ funds to defend marriage -- from what?

[bobbyperu]

06:24 PM on 04/18/2011

Newt Gingrich and Donald Trump?

[MovieGuy2010]

07:00 PM on 04/18/2011

They are going to need a budget increase, in that case....

[tpk]

06:50 PM on 04/18/2011

Exactly. Teabaggers run around yelling about wasteful government while willing to waste money on "defending" marriage and other stupid stuff. But expecting logic from them is the same as expecting my dog not to chase after squirrels

[Ripedia]

05:54 PM on 04/18/2011

Congressional Republicans wanted that BS law in the first place, so they shouldn't complain about paying for it.

[Paula Goodwin Gibbons]

05:53 PM on 04/18/2011

Is he going to cry till he gets his way?

[Janicot]

07:10 PM on 04/18/2011

He'll probably threaten to shut down the entire government instead.

[Athinker]

05:51 PM on 04/18/2011

Is he moving to Pakistan? Stay there please. They love conservatives.

[TurnSeiki]

05:51 PM on 04/18/2011

They should pay us back. It's their job to uphold the law. If they don't want to do their job, they can use an outside contractor. But, they'll be paying that outside contractor. So, we can be extremely aggressive and send the bill to Holder. Good going Boehner.

[lulubelle1956]

06:33 PM on 04/18/2011

Why do you want to pay for a losing proposition? Pay you back for what? Why don't you fork over money to Boehner to pay to pursue your losing proposition instead?

[TurnSeiki]

11:15 PM on 04/18/2011

Boehner is following the law. Holder is not. So, Holder is the one that should be arrested. (That was the G rated response. The R rated response would have been bounced by HP moderators.)

[CA007]

10:54 PM on 04/18/2011

If you want to 'defend marriage' maybe you should look first at those who participate in adultery and polygamy and the divorce rate as a target! A bunch of hypocrites! Straight couples have been destroying traditional marriage since the concept was invented and now suddenly the sacred institution of marriage needs defending. PLEASE! How many married male Republican politicians who tout this garbage have been caught using prostitutes? And furthermore, how many of those prostitutes were male?

I am guessing God himself would roll his eyes over this one!