Speaker of the House John Boehner says President Obama’s decision to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court strikes him as “raw politics” and says Obama is “pandering to the other side on this issue.” The Speaker also told me that he expects the House to make a decision on their next step by the end of the week.
Speaker Boehner talked exclusively to The Brody File in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday evening. He spoke to the National Religious Broadcasters.
You can watch the video clip below along with a partial transcription.
A full television report will air across the country Monday on "The 700 Club."
David Brody:Is this a serious issue the way you see it as to what he’s done here?
Speaker John Boehner: I’m really disappointed in the President and the Department of Justice in the fact that they’re not going to defend a law that Congress passed overwhelmingly. It’s their responsibility to do that. Now, it’s happened before where administrations have decided they weren’t going to go out and vigorously defend a law that Congress passed, but I really am disappointed in the President in his actions. But if the President won’t lead, if the President won’t defend DOMA, then you’ll see the House of Representatives defend our actions in passing a bill that, frankly, passed overwhelmingly.
There are a lot of options on the table.
We’ve been researching all the options that are available to us. We’ll be talking to the members in the next few days about that and I expect we’ll have a decision by the end of the week.
Brody: Rick Santorum says that the Speaker of the House should appoint a counsel representing the House of Representatives to take up the case and argue DOMA in federal court. Is that a good idea?
Speaker Boehner: It’s an option being considered.”
Brody: And on these options the bottom line is that something is going to happen from the House and something will get done?
Speaker Boehner: I’d be very surprised if the House didn’t decide that they were going to defend law.
Brody: How frustrated are you with this President? Do you believe it’s an overreach to the point where it gets back to the Czar issue to a degree?”
Speaker Boehner: It strikes me as something that’s just as raw politics as anything I’ve seen knowing that a lot of people who believe in DOMA are probably not likely to vote for him and pandering to the other side on this issue.