Rob Humble
Iowa City
On Thursday the Senate considered an amendment to the fiscal 2016 defense authorization bill. The amendment aimed to ensure that veterans in same-sex marriages would have access to certain spousal benefits, no matter where they live. It failed by a 53-42 vote.
It is worth noting that Senator Joni Ernst (herself a veteran) voted against the amendment. In doing so, she made her position clear — gay veterans are not equal to heterosexual veterans. It is true that yes, later this month the Supreme Court will rule whether the Constitution protects the right to marry, so this vote was largely symbolic. However, it suggests that Senator Ernst feels justified leaving soldiers behind, so to speak.
But it’s not too late. I would applaud Senator Ernst if she apologized and revised her position. Veterans are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for our safety and security. There is no justification to deny recognition of their marriages, or to deny them the benefits that marriage provides. To use Senator Ernst’s own words from her first floor speech, “We can — and must —do better for our veterans.”