Orlando, FL-President George W. Bush announced today that he would support an amendment to the United States Constitution to preserve marriage between one man and one woman. Matthew D. Staver, President and General Counsel of Liberty Counsel, a national public interest law firm that is actively involved in defending the traditional family through the country, stated that he applauds President Bush for his announcement.

Staver told Christian Post, "I applaud President Bush for his support of the federal amendment to preserve marriage between one man and one woman. I don't believe the court is a place where our common cultural history of marriage between one man and one woman should change. This should be decided by the people, not by the courts. A federal constitutional amendment will honor the will of the people."

In order to pass a constitutional amendment, two-thirds of the House and Senate must vote in favor of the amendment, and then it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states, or thirty-eight states. Since the mid-1990s, thirty-eight states have passed what is known as Defense of Marriage Acts. These DOMAs have either been placed in the state constitutions or have been put forth to the people for statewide vote. Statewide votes have occurred in Hawaii, Alaska, Nebraska and California. In all four states, laws preserving marriage between one man and one woman have been overwhelmingly passed. When these matters have been put before the state legislatures, the Defense of Marriage Acts has received overwhelming support.

Staver concluded, "Marriage between one man and one woman is so fundamentally important to our social and cultural structure, that the people ought to once and for all have their voice heard in this important matter. We should not allow a patchwork system to develop in America regarding marriage. We all are affected by one state seeking to change its marriage laws. As I have recently said, the events that we have seen in San Francisco, with the rebellious actions of the mayor disobeying clear state law and the will of the people, will hurt the same-sex marriage movement and energize the majority of Americans who believe in marriage between one man and one woman. What we are experiencing now is a response from the people who have drawn a line in the stand to preserve marriage between one man and one woman. Now even those in the highest levels of public office have heard the voice of America."

Although the court hearing is still scheduled for March 29, the time until then will certainly not be a "waiting period". It will be a time of decisive action.