[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 23251-23252]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     MARRIAGE PROTECTION AMENDMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. TODD TIAHRT

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 30, 2004

  Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 106 offered 
by Representative Marilyn Musgrave.
  The resolution, if passed by two-thirds of both the House and the 
Senate, and if ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures, 
would amend the United States Constitution with the following language:

[[Page 23252]]

  ``Marriage in the United States shall consist solely of the union of 
a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of 
any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal 
incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a 
man and a woman.''
  This nation once again finds itself wresting with monumental social 
questions of family. The way in which we choose to answer these 
questions will have far-reaching consequences upon ourselves and our 
descendants.
  Throughout recorded history, civilizations have existed and 
perpetuated themselves with basic principles of social structure. Some 
cultures have emphasized different principles such as community 
responsibility while others have emphasized individual responsibility. 
But all civil peoples have survived and prospered only where raising 
children was ideally the responsibility of their mother and father.
  Over the past century we have seen many changes in American culture. 
We have witnessed an explosion of new travel opportunities, access to 
information and advances in medicine. Certainly social norms have 
shifted. We have made progress, in the truest sense, such as 
recognizing the fundamental human rights of all people no matter their 
color or creed. And we have also made egregious regressions such as 
legalizing the aborting of unborn children. Even in this advanced age, 
we must continue to wage battles against injustices.
  But with all the change the United States has undergone and will 
continue to undergo-- there will always remain the goal to ensure that 
our children are able to perpetuate life and all things good. Any 
changes we allow to happen and support through legislation that affects 
this goal should be scrupulously considered.
  The resolution before the House today seeks to articulate what 
constitutes a marriage--not because we have some new definition, but 
because a small number of judicial activists and social re-engineers 
are seeking to impose a new definition and experiment with the 
structure in which children are encouraged to be raised. If we do 
nothing and allow the courts to re-define marriage, State and Federal 
governments will soon have little or no authority to ultimately 
restrain any imaginable form of marital contract between couples and 
groups of people and even animals.
  It is no secret marriage has been under assault in recent decades. 
With rising occurrences of extra-marital affairs, divorce, spousal 
abuse and teenage mothers becoming more commonplace among our 
population, many wonder why marriage is worth preserving at all. But 
just because the institution of marriage has experienced turbulent 
times is no reason to give up on it as the ideal for which we should 
strive.
  I want to emphasize that millions of single moms and dads across this 
country are struggling to do what is right for their children. They 
love their children and want them to do well and succeed and someday 
have an opportunity to have a healthy family of their own. As we debate 
how to best help sustain the institution of marriage, we should 
acknowledge that these parents are doing a terrific job raising their 
children to the best of their ability. They should be commended, 
especially the single moms who probably have the toughest job in 
America.
  While recognizing the honorable single moms and dads, we should also 
work to help reduce the number instances where children grow up in 
homes without both their mother and father as a part of the family.
  As a representative to the United States Congress on behalf of the 
people from the Fourth Congressional District of Kansas, I took an oath 
to uphold the Constitution of the United States. The preamble to that 
great document states that two of the Constitution's purposes are to 
``promote the general Welfare'' and ``secure the Blessings of Liberty 
to ourselves and our Posterity.'' I consider how we raise our children 
and with whom that responsibility lies to be among the most crucial 
decisions we face in promoting the general well-being of all Americans 
and our descendants.
  As the government seeks to provide for the general welfare of its 
citizens, I believe it should promote that which provides the maximum 
protection for our youngest generation. A child is best nurtured and 
protected when both the mother and father are sharing the 
responsibility of raising the child.
  While not everyone who enters into marriage desires children or is 
able to have children, the context of their marriage is an example of 
how a man and a woman should live together in a way where children 
could be raised and cared for. We all know kids are observant and 
curious, and they watch how friends, neighbors and relatives live. And 
most children grow up mimicking the behaviors observed from adults.
  So while two people of the same sex may express love for one another, 
it does not mean that the State has an obligation or duty to grant them 
marital status. Marriage is a privilege the State should protect, but 
it is not a right for same-sex partners, multiple partners, or any 
configuration of people and animals that express love for one another.
  Fighting to protect marriage in America will likely be a very long 
and difficult process, but so is the struggle for a lot of worthy 
things in this country. Women fought for decades before they were 
finally allowed to vote. The struggle for slaves to become free and 
ultimately to have their full civil rights recognized was a terribly 
long process. But we must not give up. It is my hope that more and more 
Americans will realize the significance this issue has for all for us 
as Americans. I hope that as the debate continues on the issue of 
marriage we will have a growing concern for who this affects most: our 
children.

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