    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book I)]
    [June 3, 2006]
    [Pages 1072-1073]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    June 3, 2006

        Good morning. Next week, the United States Senate will begin debate
    on a constitutional amendment that defines marriage in the United States
    as the union of a man and woman. On Monday, I will meet with a coalition
    of community leaders, constitutional scholars, family and civic
    organizations, and religious leaders. They're Republicans, Democrats,
    and independents who've come together to support this amendment. Today I
    want to explain why I support the marriage protection amendment and why
    I'm urging Congress to pass it and send it to the States for
    ratification.
        Marriage is the most enduring and important human institution,
    honored and encouraged in all cultures and by every religious faith.
    Ages of experience have taught us that the commitment of a husband and a
    wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children
    and the stability of society. Marriage cannot be cut off from its
    cultural, religious, and natural roots without weakening this good
    influence on society. Government, by recognizing and protecting
    marriage, serves the interests of all.
        In our free society, people have the right to choose how they live
    their lives. And in a free society, decisions about such a fundamental
    social institution as marriage should be made by the people, not by the
    courts. The American people have spoken clearly on this issue, both
    through their Representatives and at the ballot box. In 1996, Congress
    approved the Defense of Marriage Act by overwhelming bipartisan
    majorities in both the House and Senate, and President Clinton signed it into law. And since then, voters in 19
    States have approved amendments to their State constitutions that
    protect the traditional definition of marriage. And today, 45 of the 50
    States have either a State constitutional amendment or statute defining
    marriage as the union of a man and a woman. These amendments and laws
    express a broad consensus in our country for protecting the institution
    of marriage.
        Unfortunately, activist judges and some local officials have made an
    aggressive attempt to redefine marriage in recent years. Since 2004,
    State courts in Washington, California, Maryland, and New York have
    overturned laws protecting marriage in those States. And in Nebraska, a
    Federal judge overturned a State constitutional amendment banning same-
    sex marriage.
        These court decisions could have an impact on our whole Nation. The
    Defense of Marriage Act declares that no State is required to accept
    another State's definition of marriage. If that act is overturned by
    activist courts, then marriages recognized in one city or State might
    have to be recognized as marriages everywhere else. That would mean that
    every State would have to recognize marriages redefined by judges in
    Massachusetts or local officials in San Francisco, no matter what their
    own laws or State constitutions say. This national question requires a
    national solution, and on an issue of such profound importance, that
    solution should come from the people, not the courts.
        An amendment to the Constitution is necessary because activist
    courts have left our Nation with no other choice. The constitutional
    amendment that the Senate will consider next week would fully protect
    marriage from being redefined, while leaving State legislatures free to
    make their own choices in defining legal arrangements other than
    marriage. A constitutional amendment is the most democratic solution to
    this issue, because it must be approved by two-thirds of the House and
    Senate and then ratified by three-fourths of the 50 State legislatures.

    [[Page 1073]]

        As this debate goes forward, we must remember that every American
    deserves to be treated with tolerance, respect, and dignity. All of us
    have a duty to conduct this discussion with civility and decency toward
    one another, and all people deserve to have their voices heard. A
    constitutional amendment will put a decision that is critical to
    American families and American society in the hands of the American
    people, which is exactly where it belongs. Democracy, not court orders,
    should decide the future of marriage in America.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:30 a.m. on June 2 in the Cabinet
    Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on June 3. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    June 2 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of
    the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this
    address.