Misleading district mailer sent by Rep. Buchanon, paid for by your tax dollars; a
pdf copy is here.
Rep. Vern Buchanon
Congressman
Vern Buchanan (R-FL) is wasting your tax dollars to distribute inaccurate and incorrect information to his district. Among the complaints of Planned Parenthood funding, a recent district mailer made this inaccurate claim:
"The Obama Adminstration recently announced it will no longer enforce the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)"
Actually no.
In fact, the Defense of Marriage act remains the unbreakable law of the land under this administration as with the last two.
Because DOMA is being enforced, legally married LGBT citizens cannot apply for green card applications for their spouses to legally immigrate to the United States.
Because DOMA is being enforced, LGBT citizens who receive partner benefits from their employer must pay federal taxes on them as though they were taxable income, instead of pre-tax, as with "opposite married" couples. The tax burden is high for such couples.
Because DOMA is being enforced, legally married LGBT citizens are made to pay huge tax burdens when they inherit from their spouses.
Because DOMA is being enforced, legally married same-sex couples are still being denied over 1,000 federal benefits, rights and responsibilities that opposite-sex couples enjoy.
Perhaps Rep. Buchanon is confused because the Obama Justice Department concluded in February 2011 that the Defense of Marriage act is indefensible under the U.S. Constitution and decided to withdraw itself as a defendant from cases challenging its constitutionality?
The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Boehner elected to pick up the legal defense. A poll conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research in March 2011 showed that 54% of Americans disagreed with that decision.
Regardless, the administration continues to enforce the law, no matter what Rep. Buchanan believes or how misinformed his constituents are. Legally married LGBT American citizens are well-aware that DOMA is still being enforced.
Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solomnese says:
“Rep. Buchanan’s decision to waste tax dollars on a misleading mailer spreading his anti-gay views is inappropriate and mean-spirited. The people of his district deserve better from their member of congress.”
The Congressman would do well to educate himself on the difference between "enforcing" and "legally defending" before communicating matters of policy to his constituents.