Cruz Bill Calls Out Feds for 'Forcing Gay Marriage'

Ted Cruz has introduced legislation in the Senate aimed at stopping the Obama administration "from forcing gay marriage on all 50 states," reports the Washington Post. Cruz and co-sponsor Mike Lee say the White House has gone too far in extending federal benefits to gay couples—like so—since the Supreme Court gutted the Defense of Marriage Act in June, reports the Daily Caller. If a state chooses to recognize same-sex marriages, that's one thing, says Cruz. But if a state chooses not to do so, the feds should butt out.

The bill would "ensure the federal government gives the same deference to the 33 states that define marriage as the union between one man and one woman as it does to the 17 states that have chosen to recognize same-sex unions," says Cruz. A similar bill has been introduced in the House. Luke Johnson at the Huffington Post writes that while Cruz's bill has no chance of being considered in the Senate, "it is a sign that gay marriage is still an issue among the conservative right." (More Ted Cruz stories.)