WASHINGTON — The congressional sponsors of a constitutional amendment that would prohibit same-sex marriage announced new wording Monday aimed at building political support for the measure by easing concerns that it would block states from allowing civil unions of gay or lesbian couples.
Sen. Wayne Allard and Rep. Marilyn N. Musgrave, both Colorado Republicans, said they believed that the rewording would "make it perfectly clear," despite language defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman, that the amendment would leave states free to enact laws allowing civil unions or domestic partnership benefits for gay couples.
The revision says: "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any state, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."
The phrase "nor state nor federal law," which was in the second sentence of the earlier version, has been dropped.
Allard introduced the revised language in the Senate on Monday; Musgrave said she would introduce it in the House soon.
The change reflected the sponsors' efforts to deal with the substantial political obstacles awaiting the measure. After initially announcing their proposal, Allard and Musgrave found that they were running into opposition not only from liberals but also from conservative supporters of states' rights.
Allard and Musgrave said Monday that they were making only "technical changes" to the proposal, which has become a key social issue in the presidential election. President Bush is advocating a constitutional change that he says is needed to defend traditional marriage. Sen. John F. Kerry, the presumed Democratic nominee, opposes such action.
But when asked whether he thought the new wording would garner more support for the amendment, Allard replied: "Yes, because it's clarifying and it takes out ambiguity."
Critics argued that the amendment might still restrict the states' right to enact civil unions.
"I think that we're going to continue to see scholars argue over what it means or doesn't mean," said Ron Schlittler, director of policy for Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, a lobbying group for gay rights. "It is just still murky. What do we mean by 'legal incidents thereof'?"
