March 27, 2014
Mich. Lawmakers: Give Benefits to Same-Sex Newlyweds
Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 1 MIN.
Six Democrats in Michigan's congressional delegation are asking U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to recognize more than 300 same-sex marriages performed last weekend.
The marriages were completed before an appeals court suspended a decision that overturned Michigan's ban on gay marriage. The lawmakers want the government to treat the same-sex couples as legally married for the purpose of qualifying for federal benefits.
Gov. Rick Snyder says Michigan won't recognize the marriages for state benefits.
In January, Holder said the government would honor same-sex marriages in Utah in a case very similar to Michigan's. The Justice Department so far has said it's monitoring the situation in Michigan.
The letter is signed by Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, and Reps. John Dingell, Sander Levin, Gary Peters and Dan Kildee.
