In 1996 the Defense of Marriage Act was passed to define marriage as only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word `spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.”
In September 2009 new legislation was introduced known as the Respect for Marriage Act. While this did not pass, the Obama administration is not making any legal efforts to defend DOMA. This is important as there are 2 gay marriage cases set to be heard by the Supreme Court next month. Hollingsworth vs Perry and Windsor v U.S.
