"There is no rational reason why loving and committed same-sex couples should be excluded from the ability to protect their families in good times and in bad, and nothing in today's hearing changed that fact. The Defense of Marriage Act is a thoroughly un-American law that singles out one group of people for unequal treatment and Congress should be finding ways to right that wrong rather than cementing the shaky ground on which is stands.

"It's striking that among the Republican members of the committee, only Reps. Franks and Smith showed up to question witnesses. Perhaps the other members have realized that not only do the American people oppose DOMA but they also can't fathom why Congress continues to fixate on ways to discriminate against LGBT people. What does it say when the most virulently anti-LGBT members of Congress decide it's not worth their time to show up?"

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.