The House of Representatives will issue its own defense of a federal law defining marriage as being between a man and a woman, House Speaker John Boehner said.
President Barack Obama told his administration to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court. The decision was heralded as a step forward by gay-rights activists and widely criticized by conservative legislators.
Boehner said the
House would appoint a counsel to represent congress in court. The idea was originally proposed by former Senator Rick Santorum.
Boehner accused Obama of dropping the defense simply to garner votes and support from the gay community.