Suzanne Bonamici

A bill which seeks to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) continues to attract new co-sponsors. A bill which seeks to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) continues to attract new co-sponsors. The law, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996, defines marriage as a heterosexual union for federal agencies and allows states to ignore gay marriages performed in other states. DOMA bars legally married gay and lesbian couples from accessing federal benefits, including Social Security and pensions. With the sponsorship of Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, the bill cleared a Senate panel last year. ?A year after introducing this historic legislation, our movement to repeal DOMA and bring federal law into the 21st century has made unprecedented strides,? said New York Congressman Jerry Nadler, the sponsor of the bill in the House. ?We have seen the Senate introduce its counterpart, hold the first ever hearing on the legislation, and pass it out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

(Reuters) - An Oregon special election in which national Democrats have sought to paint the Republican congressional candidate as a Tea Party radical foreshadows a tactic the party will employ in its quest to take back Congress seats lost in the 2010 election.