Chris Christie Blasts Supreme Court’s Ruling On DOMA

christieFollowing the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), New Jersey’s Republican governor, Chris Christie, blasted the decision as “inappropriate” and “wrong.”

Gov. Christie, who vetoed a same-sex marriage bill in New Jersey in February 2012, argued that the Court’s strike-down of a crucial part of DOMA – a section that prohibited same-sex married couples from receiving the same federal benefits and recognition as heterosexual married couples – was an example of “judicial supremacy.”

The governor accused the justices of substituting “their own judgment of a Republican Congress and a Democratic president.” He added that “Justice Kennedy’s opinion was, in many respects, incredibly insulting to those people, 340-some members of Congress who voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, and Bill Clinton.”

Christie, who is widely considered to be a top contender for the Republican nomination in 2016, affirmed that he believes gay marriage is a state-level issue, and states should “let people decide.”

The governor maintained, “If the people of New Jersey – as some of the same-sex marriage advocates suggest the polls indicate – are in favor of it, then my position would not be the winning position,” and added that he is willing to be “governed” on his personal view of same-sex marriage. On this, Governor Christie said, “You’re talking about changing an institution over 2,000 years old. …I’ve made it very clear since 2009 that I believe marriage should be between one man and one woman. I’ve said that, I ran on that, I’ve said it consistently.”

Despite Christie’s ideological views on the institution of marriage, a majority of his constituents support same-sex marriage — which is not a surprise in deep-blue New Jersey.

An April Rutgers-Eagleton poll revealed that 62 percent of the 800 adults surveyed said they are in favor of same-sex marriage. Similarly, a more recent Rutgers-Eagleton poll conducted from June 3 to June 9 found that 59 percent of the 888 adults surveyed said they would vote for same-sex marriage if they could, and only 30 percent said they would oppose it.

There is still no telling if New Jersey voters will see the issue on a ballot anytime soon. Until then, many of the state’s same-sex couples are heading to neighboring New York to get hitched.

Photo: Iowa Politics via Flickr.com

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