“The Attorney General of the United States should be impeached over his repeated lawlessness in attempting to impose same-sex marriage throughout the nation.”
Rev. Bill Owens, Coalition of African American Pastors (CAAP)
Download PDF: CAAP Press Release 2-25-2014
Washington, DC— A coalition of African American civil rights leaders and pastors today said they will launch a grassroots effort seeking to secure the signatures of one million people calling for Attorney General Eric Holder to be impeached. The Coalition of African American Pastors (CAAP) cited numerous instances of Holder attempting to impose same-sex ‘marriage’ throughout the nation despite federal law, rulings by the US Supreme Court, and state constitutional amendments to the contrary.
“The Attorney General of the United States should be impeached over his repeated lawlessness in attempting to impose same-sex marriage throughout the nation,” said Reverend Bill Owens, CAAP Founder and President. “It’s one thing to make a political argument that gay marriage should be the law, but it’s quite another to take actions that ignore federal law, Supreme Court rulings, and the constitutions of dozens of states that have specifically rejected the redefinition of marriage which the administration is trying to impose.”
“As much as President Obama and Attorney General Holder would like it to be otherwise, we live in a democracy—with government of, by, and for the people—not a monarchy ruled by a king issuing decrees from on high,” Reverend Owens continued. “The citizens of several states who have voted overwhelmingly to preserve marriage have had their votes voided and thrown out by radical federal judges; and the Obama administration—in particular the Justice Department—has been shamefully complicit in this attack on the rights of those voters.”
States have historically defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and the majority of states continue to do so. Thirty states have in fact enacted constitutional amendments to this effect. Furthermore, still binding federal law contained in Section II of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) provides that no state shall be required to recognize same-sex ‘marriages’ performed in other states. The US Supreme Court ruled last year in Windsor v. United States that the federal government must respect the role of states to define marriage.
Despite all this, Attorney General Holder has announced that the federal government will treat any ’married’ same-sex couple as legally married even in states that define marriage as solely the union of a man and a woman. Holder has directed the government to extend provisions providing same-sex couples immunity from testifying against a ‘spouse,’ treatment as ‘married’ persons in bankruptcy court, ‘spousal’ visitation rights and compassionate release in the case of federal prison inmates, and federal death benefits.
Previously, Holder supported the Obama Administration’s efforts to allow foreign gay ‘spouses’ immigration rights, attempts to pressure military chaplains to perform same-sex ceremonies, and extension of federal benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.
“What we have in Attorney General Holder is a man so political in his zeal to redefine marriage that he is willing to run roughshod over the rulings of the Supreme Court, binding federal law, and the United States Constitution along with the constitutions of a majority of states,” Reverend Owens said. “Yet our leaders in Washington are letting him get away with his illegal conduct and doing nothing meaningful to hold him accountable. Our campaign to gather one million signatures of citizens calling for Holder’s impeachment is intended to create a groundswell of support, giving Congressional leadership the encouragement necessary to remove this dangerous ideologue from public office.”
Owens stressed that the petition is meant for all citizens regardless of race or creed: “Marriage is an institution that benefits all of society; therefore every citizen has an interest in protecting marriage from these brazen attacks,” Owens said. Citizens can sign the open letter to Congress at www.HolderImpeachment.com.
To schedule an interview with Rev. William Owens, Founder & President of the Coalition of African American Pastors, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), [email protected], or Matille Thebolt (x143), [email protected], at 703-683-5004.
