Bush Hints at Amendment to Block Same-Sex Marriages

President Bush on Tuesday called on Americans to “defend the sanctity of marriage,” and tiptoed toward suggesting a constitutional amendment to block gay marriage but stopped just short of endorsing one.

Conservative groups, which form a key part of the president’s political base, were pleased with the high-profile attention he gave the issue, but some said it was time for Bush to directly call on Congress to pass a constitutional amendment.

Instead, they heard murky, carefully parsed language.

“On an issue of such great consequence, the people’s voice must be heard,” Bush said. “If judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people, the only alternative left to the people would be the constitutional process.”

Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, an organization based in Washington and Holland, Mich., that promotes marriage, said Bush’s comments were too noncommittal.

“The president should immediately call upon Congress to pass an amendment this year to the Constitution codifying into law what history and nature has taught us: Marriage is between a man and a woman,” Perkins said.

Sandy Rios, president of Concerned Women for America, a conservative public policy group, applauded the president’s comments but emphasized that her group and others would hold him accountable for leading the nation to block legalization of same-sex marriage.

“Nothing less than bold action will do,” Rios said. “He needs to use his God-given platform to lead the American people. He needs to take a strong stand in fighting this battle at home.”

Gay rights activists expressed relief that the president did not expressly propose a constitutional amendment, which they said would be unprecedented and wrong.

“In more than 200 hundred years of American history, the Constitution has never [been] amended to deny basic rights and responsibilities,” said Cheryl Jacques, president of Human Rights Campaign, a Washington advocacy group.

Such a move, she said, would deny gay couples such fundamental rights as the ability to visit a partner in the hospital or the protection of Social Security survivor benefits.

A decision in November by the Supreme Judicial Court in Massachusetts is fueling the conservative groups’ call for a constitutional amendment. The court called on state lawmakers to devise a plan within six months to allow same-sex marriages in the state.

Conservative groups say they expect that gay couples from outside the state will go to Massachusetts to marry and then return home, asking their home state to recognize the unions. They fear that this could spark lawsuits that would challenge the existing laws in 39 states that recognized marriage only between a man and a woman. The federal Defense of Marriage Act prohibits states from redefining marriage for other states.

Conservative groups were pleased that the president took aim at judges who have made recent court rulings upholding gay unions.

Bush accused “activist judges” of “redefining marriage by court order, without regard for the will of the people and their elected representatives.”

But gay rights activists emphasized that judges had a responsibility to protect civil rights.

“We would remind the president that the courts have long played a key role in helping to ensure that all Americans enjoy equality under the law,” Jacques said.

She cited the example of Brown vs. Board of Education, the 1954 Supreme Court case that forced desegregation of schools.

Addressing another issue with appeal for conservative voters, Bush called on Congress to double funding for abstinence-based sex-education programs in schools to $270 million.

“Abstinence for young people is the only certain way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases,” Bush said. “Decisions children make now can affect their health and character for the rest of their lives. All of us -- parents, schools, government -- must work together to counter the negative influence of the culture, and to send the right messages to our children.”

The president called on Congress to pass a law to give religious groups equal access to federal funds for social programs that give assistance to needy Americans, including substance abusers and the homeless.

He also urged Congress to create a four-year, $300-million program to help the 600,000 inmates who will be released from prison next year to move into productive lives.

“When the gates of a prison open, the path ahead should lead to a better life,” Bush said.