Sens. Larry Craig and David Vitter co-sponsor Marriage Protection Amendment</p>
<p>by PageOneQ</p>
<p>Two United States Senators implicated in extramarital sexual activity have named themselves as co-sponsors of S. J. RES. 43, dubbed the Marriage Protection Amendment. If ratified, the bill would amend the United States Constitution to state that marriage “shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman.”</p>
<p>Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID), who was arrested June 11, 2007 on charges of lewd conduct in a Minneapolis airport terminal, is co-sponsoring the amendment along with Sen. David Vitter (R-LA).</p>
<p>Craig, who entered a guilty plea to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct, was detained and charged for attempting to engage in sexual activity with a male undercover police officer. His arrest and plea became public two months later. At that time, Craig attempted to withdraw his plea and enter a new plea of not guilty. To date, his efforts have been denied by the courts.</p>
<p>In July of 2007, Vitter was identified as a client of a prostitution firm owned by the late Deborah Jeane Palfrey, commonly known as The DC Madam.</p>
<p>With a Democratic controlled Congress it is unlikely the bill will be brought up for a vote in either the Senate or House of Representatives.</p>
<p>A voice mail left for Craig spokesperson Susan Irby went unreturned. Attempts to contact Vitter’s press secretary Joel DiGrado were unsuccessful.</p>
<p>The full text of S. J. RES. 43 follows:</p>
<p>110th CONGRESS 2d Session</p>
<p>Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage.</p>
<p>IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JUNE 25, 2008</p>
<p>Mr. WICKER (for himself, Mr. VITTER, Mr. CRAIG, Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. THUNE, and Mr. SHELBY) introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary</p>
<p>JOINT RESOLUTION</p>
<p>Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage.</p>
<p>Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission by the Congress:</p>
<p>“ARTICLE”</p>
<p>Section 1. This article may be cited as the Marriage Protection Amendment.</p>
<p>Section 2. 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.