Departing US Attorney General: Government will still back same-sex marriage to Supreme Court
Departing US Attorney General Eric Holder has confirmed the Obama administration will continue to support same-sex marriage in court after he leaves.
Mr Holder, who has served as the country’s top law official since 2008 and was just one of three remaining members of President Obama’s original cabinet, announced plans to stand down earlier this week.
One of the loudest pro-gay voices in the administration, he was instrumental in the decision to stop defending the Defence of Marrriage Act in 2011 – paving the way for it to be struck down by the Supreme Court last year – and has since weighed in on several marriage ban cases.
He confirmed in July that the Department of Justice will argue in favour of striking down bans on same-sex marriage if the Supreme Court takes up another case – and now says that decision will remain in place, no matter who succeeds him.
He told NBC: “I can’t imagine that we would take any other position while this president is in office and certainly as long as I am attorney general or anybody who is my successor.”
He added of marriage in all 50 states: “I think the country is ready for that.”
The Supreme Court is set to hold a closed-doors meeting on Monday (September 29), in which justices will consider taking up one of several pending marriage ban cases.
The justices will review appeals of rulings striking down marriage bans in Indiana, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Utah, and Virginia, and will consider taking up a case.
