Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate will vote on S.J. Res. 1, known as the Marriage Protection Amendment ("MPA"), which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman. The language of the proposed federal constitutional amendment states as follows: "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the Constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."

Since the mid-1990s, more than 40 states have passed Defense of Marriages Acts, which define marriage as the union of one man and one woman and expressly ban same-sex marriage. So far 19 states have overwhelmingly passed statewide marriage initiatives. This November, voters in at least 7 more states will vote to amend their constitutions. A federal marriage amendment is necessary, especially in view of the fact that a federal court struck down Nebraska’s marriage amendment passed by the voters in 2000.

Today President Bush will publicly endorse the MPA in a ceremony at the White House, just one day before the Senate is expected to vote on the measure. In his Saturday radio address, Bush said: "Ages of experience have taught us that the commitment of a husband and wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society."

Mathew D. Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit litigation, education, and policy organization that has defended marriage in more than 40 court cases over the past two years, commented: "While the states have regulated the edges of marriage, the essence of marriage as one man and one woman has always been a federal concern. Several territories were required to pass laws and amend their constitutions expressly adopting marriage between one man and one woman. Marriage is distinct from other personal relationships. Millennia of human history prove that children do best when raised with a mom and a dad. President Bush and the Congress must act now to protect marriage. Preserving marriage as one man and one woman is the best social security for America and our children."