Response from Conrad Burns (R-MT) re: FMA (sounds like he's leaning NO)

[Ediacara]

I had called Burns office a few weeks ago while attempting to help the DU tally of Senators for and against the FMA legislation. The letter seems to be a reiteration of the somewhat vague story I got from his staff which is:

1) Burns doesn't like gay marriage, but:
2) Amending the constitution to stop gay marriage is stupid.

So he's still sitting on the fence, but sounds like he is a possible no vote on the FMA.

The text of the letter is as follows (all emphasis mine):

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Dear Mr DinoBoy:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding same sex marriages. It was good to hear from you.

As you know, the issue of same sex marriage has come to the political forefront because of the recent Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision. Since that ruling, there has been a drive towards amending the Constitution to prevent gay and lesbian couples from ever legally marrying in the United States. While I beleve that marriage should be defined as a union between a man and a woman, I have great concerns over amending the Constitution.

The federal government has already adequately dealt with this difficult issue by passing the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA provides that no State shall be required to give effect to a law of any other State with respect to same-sex marriage. This legislation ensures that the individual states, not the federal government, are able to decide for themselves which marriages to legally recognize. In addition, DOMA defines the word "marriage" as being between only a man and a woman in reference to federal laws.

I appreciate that this is a very sensative issue, which is creating intense discourse throughout the country. However, just because an issue is receiving a lot of attention, it does not necisarily justify repetative federal legislation. At this time, instead of focusing on duplicating past legislation, the federal government needs to focus on winning the war on terror and getting the American economy back in high gear.

Thanks again for contacting me. Please don't hesitate to call or write with any other questions or concerns you may have.

Sincerely.

Conrad Burns
United States Senator

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ON EDIT: spelling