  This was sent to me by my congressman a few moments ago after writing him concerning the same-sex marriage amendment asap H.J. Res. 56. Does anyone else find the "God Bless" disturbing considering the issue? Dear Gary, Thank you for contacting me with your views regarding the Federal Marriage Amendment. I appreciate hearing from you. The Alliance for Marriage organization held a press conference on July 12, 2001 to introduce a proposal regarding the Constitution and its definition of marriage. Its purpose is to gather support for its Federal Marriage Amendment, which states, "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution or the constitution of any state ... shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon unmarried couples or groups.
" This effort culminated in the introduction of H.J.Res. 56, the Federal Marriage Amendment, by Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R- CO). As envisioned, this legislation would amend the Constitution by declaring that marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Furthermore, under this language, no Federal or State law could grant marital status to an unmarried couple. This restriction would include efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or any State constitution.
I firmly believe that marriage is a union between a man and a woman. This definition should not be undermined as we seek to uphold the sanctity of marriage. As a cosponsor of H.J.Res. 56, be assured that I will support it should it come to the House floor for a vote. Please feel free to contact me again with comments or concerns on matters that are important to you. God Bless You, Jim Ryun 
