Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., told liberal supporters that the Defense of Marriage Act (1996) makes the United States look hypocritical on human rights issues, and so undermines government opposition to genocide around the world.
“I’m proud of the fact that it’s the U.S. Helsinki Commission that stands up for the Roma gypsy population of Europe, stands up for minorities around Europe,” Cardin told gay activists at Netroots Nation earlier this month. “But we cannot speak with an effective voice unless we take care of the problems in our own country first. And that’s why it’s important that we do what is the right policy: I want to repeal DOMA; I want to get it done; that is wrong,” he added. “Marriage equality is a basic right.”
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In February, the Helsinki Commission held a hearing on the “escalation of violence against Roma, including by sniper fire, Molotov cocktail attacks, and anti-Roma rioting.” President Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between one man and one woman, in 1996 after the bill passed the House by a 342-67 and passed the Senate 85-14.
Cardin similarly indicated that the current opposition to amnesty for illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States for many years without breaking other laws is also a sign of weakness on human rights. “We are out of step with the international community on immigration,” he said at Netroots Nation. “We are out of step with our own values on immigration.”
The Maryland Senator isn’t the only Democrat to criticize the United States record on human rights. Former President Jimmy Carter accused President Obama of “widespread abuse of human rights” by conducting drone strikes in an op-ed published on Monday in the New York Times.
H/T Maryland Juice, where you can watch these and other videos of Cardin’s remarks.
