Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady (R- The Woodlands), co-sponsor of the Marriage Protection Amendment was disappointed today that the House of Representatives did not reach the two-thirds super majority necessary to allow states to consider a constitutional amendment that would preserve and define marriage in this nation as a union between one man and one woman.  The final vote was 227-186.

 

Congressman Brady, who early in the afternoon went to the House Floor to defend traditional marriage, issued the following statement at the conclusion of the vote:

 

"I believe the institution of marriage is a sacred union that predates Congress and the Constitution.  Marriage, with all its human flaws, is not simply a legal contract but a covenant that binds individuals and families to each other and has for centuries provided social stability -- not only for our own country but for every culture known to man.

 

“Marriage matters.  It matters to the American people.  It matters to our children.  And it matters to our nation's future because strong families foster strong morals and an equally strong nation.

 

“As for those who say this is no business of Congress, I strongly disagree.  Our Founding Fathers and Mothers may never have imagined this debate but they created a thoughtful process for the American people to decide matters of such great importance.

 

“Make no mistake, the definition of marriage in America will be decided.  The only question today is by whom: the unelected justices of the federal courts or the American people.  Who do you trust to decide this nation-changing decision?  I place my faith in the American people, debating and deciding state by state a decision that will forever alter or forever preserve the culture of our nation.”