President Bush used the high-profile platform of tonight's State of the Union address to reiterate his support for traditional marriage, telling a joint session of Congress and millions of television viewers that "our nation must defend the sanctity" of "one of the most fundamental, enduring institutions of our civilization."
Bush stopped short of declaring his support for the Federal Marriage Amendment, or mentioning by name last year's Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision granting homosexual couples the right to marry in that state. But he did acknowledge that altering the Constitution may be the only way to preserve the definition of marriage that has served society for millennia.
"Congress has already taken a stand on this issue by passing the Defense of Marriage Act, signed in 1996 by President Clinton," Bush said. "That statute protects marriage under federal law as the union of a man and a woman, and declares that one state may not redefine marriage for other states.
"Activist judges, however, have begun redefining marriage by court order, without regard for the will of the people and their elected representatives. On an issue of such importance, the people's voice must be heard.
"If judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people," Bush added, "the only alternative left to the people would be the constitutional process."
Tom Minnery, vice president of public policy for Focus on the Family, said Bush sounded several good notes in his speech.
"The president mentioned the Constitution, which is farther than he's gone before," Minnery said. "He pointed a finger at the activist judges, which is where it needed to be pointed. He could have endorsed the Federal Marriage Amendment, but he did not — and we are disappointed by that. We expect he may have to do so, based on what happens in Massachusetts ."
U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., also appreciated Bush's pro-marriage comments, saying he was particularly pleased with the president's indictment of judicial tyrants.
"It was clearly a warning to the bench that if you keep on this path, you're going to suffer a real pushback," Brownback told CitizenLink. "Are the judicial, legislative and executive branches co-equal branches of government or not? Certainly lately, we have appeared not to be. And the president is laying the groundwork to change that."
The president's marriage comments came about three-quarters of the way through his 54-minute speech, dominated by a review and restatement of the country's commitment to the war on terrorism. He noted the incipient signs of democracy in Afghanistan and Iraq , and hailed the military servicemen and women whose skills and sacrifice paved the way for those freedoms.
"Many of our troops are listening tonight," he said. "And I want you and your families to know: America is proud of you."
Bush also reiterated the country's resolve to guard against terrorist attacks on the home front.
" America will never seek a permission slip," he said, "to defend the security of our people."
"I loved that," said Dr. Janice Crouse, director of the Beverly LaHaye Institute and a former speechwriter for the first President Bush. "It was a very important point to make — that people can differ with you and you can respect those differences, but when it comes to defending democracy and freedom, we don't have to ask permission."
Moving on to his domestic policy accomplishments and agenda, Bush touted the growing strength of the economy, defended his much-maligned education-reform plan, promised seniors an improved Medicare system and even called on professional athletes to stop taking steroids.
On the pro-family front, he urged Congress to codify his Faith-Based and Community Initiatives program, which he created by executive order, into law so it would last longer than his own administration. He also promised to double federal funding for abstinence education -- saying it is "the only certain way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases."
"I was very encouraged to hear the president's comments on empowering faith-based groups to provide services to those in need," said Amanda Izsak, federal issues analyst for Focus on the Family. "Most importantly, he urged Congress to make permanent what he has done temporarily by executive order — opening billions of dollars in grants to faith-based organizations that before were ineligible. The work of faith-based organizations is invaluable in America , and the president confirmed that tonight."
Focus on the Family Chairman Dr. James C. Dobson said Bush couldn't have come out more strongly for the benefits of sexual purity.
"(He) has unashamedly endorsed abstinence education and programs as the single best way to prevent our children from paying the awful price that sexually transmitted diseases extract," he said. "Our children need to hear the life-giving message that abstinence before marriage and monogamy after marriage are the safest and most rewarding expressions of intimate love."
TAKE ACTION
Let President Bush know what you thought of his State of the Union message. For contact information, including an easy-to-use e-mail form, visit the CitizenLink Action Center .
