Miller Deplores Senate Gridlock On Amendment
Calls on Murkowski to Co-Sponsor Measure to Protect Marriage
North Pole, AK - Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Mike Miller said he is disappointed by the Senate's failure to act on a proposed constitutional amendment to protect marriage, and he called on Lisa Murkowski to eliminate any ambiguity in her position by cosponsoring the marriage amendment supported by President Bush.
"The Senate failed the American people today when it dodged taking a roll call vote on the federal marriage amendment," Miller said. "Meanwhile, Lisa Murkowski has sent conflicting messages about where she stands. Just days ago, pro-family groups lobbying for passage of the amendment listed Lisa Murkowski as being either undecided, or actually opposed to the amendment. But on Monday, Lisa told Alaska media sources she was supporting the amendment. Now is the time for Alaska's appointed Senator to eliminate any ambiguity in her position by signing on as a cosponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 40, the amendment backed by President Bush."
Miller stated that Alaska's voters have spoken clearly on the marriage issue, and that if Murkowski truly supports the marriage amendment, she should be actively working to win its passage. "When I was Senate President in 1998, I helped lead the fight in the Legislature to pass a state constitutional amendment protecting marriage," Miller said. "The Alaska marriage amendment was ratified by almost 70 percent of voters, and we became the very first state to define marriage as a union of one man and one woman, right in our state constitution. Given Alaska's unique experience, you would think that a Senator from Alaska would be a leader on this issue, not a follower who takes weeks to make up her mind."
Miller's campaign for U.S. Senate has been endorsed by several national groups that are working to win passage of the federal marriage amendment, including Concerned Women Political Action Committee and the Campaign for Working Families.