Congressman Steve King (R-Iowa) released the following statement after introducing his bill “Restrain the Judges on Marriage Act of 2015″ yesterday. This bill strips federal courts of jurisdiction to hear cases related to marriage. The effect of the bill would prevent federal courts from hearing marriage cases, leaving the issue to the States where it properly belongs.
“For too long, federal courts have overstepped their constitutionally limited duty to interpret the Constitution.” Said King. “Rather, federal courts have perverted the Constitution to make law and create constitutional rights to things such as privacy, birth control, and abortion. These unenumerated, so-called constitutionally-protected rights were not envisioned by our Founding Fathers.
My bill strips Article III courts of jurisdiction, and the Supreme Court of appellate jurisdiction, ‘to hear or decide any question pertaining to the interpretation of, or the validity under the Constitution of, any type of marriage.’ Second, my bill provides that ‘[n]o federal funds may be used for any litigation in, or enforcement of any order or judgment by, any court created by an Act of Congress.’
I urge the House to bring this bill to the Floor. If passed, my bill would stop the Court from destroying traditional marriage and preserve the votes of millions of voters in States that have passed bans on same-sex marriage.”
To view the bill text, click here.