DOJ Demands Faster Action On DOMA

In what is being described as a highly unusual request, the Department of Justice has asked the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to speed up its review of the constitutionality of DOMA, a move that may see the critical Section 3 of the bill completely overturned by the November election. Chris Geidner reports at Metro Weekly:

Calling the resolution of the case a "constitutional question of exceptional importance and urgency," DOJ lawyers -- with Golinski's support -- are seeking to speed up the appeal with the aim of resolving whether Section 3 of DOMA, which defines "marriage" and "spouse" as pertaining only to opposite-sex couples, unconstitutionally discriminates based on sexual orientation. If DOJ lawyers have their way, an 11-judge en banc panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will be considering the case of Golinski v. Office of Personnel Management well before the presidential election this November. Additionally, even as the appeal is pending, OPM has directed Golinski's insurer to begin providing equal coverage for her wife, Amy Cunninghis.

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