News Release
Vote in US Senate on Federal Marriage Protection Amendment shows disregard
for best interests of children and will of the people
MADISON— The Family Research Institute of Wisconsin issued the following statement regarding today’s vote in the US Senate on the Federal Marriage Protection Amendment.
"Wisconsin’s US Senators Herb Kohl (D) and Russ Feingold (D) and 46 other senators apparently think children don’t need mothers and fathers. Their votes today on the Federal Marriage Protection Amendment reveal that many of our elected officials don’t understand that marriage is fundamentally about the next generation. Already in Massachusetts, by judicial fiat the state was forced to purposely create motherless and fatherless homes, by legalizing so-called "marriage" between persons of the same sex. Typically, compassionate and caring societies don’t do that. Rather, they come to the aid of such homes.
"Senator Feingold’s public statements about the Federal Marriage Protection Amendment show that he has bought wholesale into the mantra used by those determined to redefine the institution of marriage. This federal amendment and Wisconsin’s Marriage Protection Amendment are not about individuals or individual marriages. They are about preserving the foundational social institution of this nation and this state. Making this a "my marriage" or "my relationship" issue may play well in the media, but the public is much smarter than Sen. Feingold thinks. Unlike Sen. Feingold, they readily recognize any redefinition of marriage will affect everyone, from children to churches, from businesses to schools.
"A recent Gallup poll shows that a majority of Americans support a constitutional amendment to preserve traditional one-man/one-woman marriage. Senators Kohl and Feingold are obviously out of step with the people or are willing to ignore the will of those they represent.
"Today’s vote in the US Senate and Sen. Feingold’s comments highlight the necessity of Wisconsin enacting its own state Marriage Protection Amendment this fall. While elected officials such as Sens. Kohl and Feingold keep blocking measures designed to let the people speak on the definition of marriage, our state legislature has appropriately given Wisconsin citizens the opportunity to vote on this critical issue. Wisconsin’s Marriage Protection Amendment will provide the very best legal protection currently available for traditional one-man/one-woman while we are waiting for the federal officials to catch up with the people."