President Bush on Tuesday called for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ban same-sex marriages by defining marriage as between a man and a woman.

The White House had been analyzing the issue ever since the U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down state laws banning same-sex sodomy laws. But Bush was prompted to act now due to a ruing from the Massachusetts high court paving the way for same-sex marriages and the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses in San Francisco, California.

Conservative groups hailed Bush. News analyses tied his move to satisfy the conservative base but Republicans are unsure whether a constitutional ban is wise in the election year. It would take two-thirds approval by both chambers of Congress and ratification by at least 38 states.

Get the Story:
Bush Backs Amendment Banning Gay Marriage (The Washington Post 2/25)
pwpwd
A Move to Satisfy Conservative Base (The Washington Post 2/25)
pwpwd
By Backing a Gay Marriage Ban, Bush Keeps Faith With His Base (The New York Times 2/25)
Bush Backs Ban in Constitution on Gay Marriage (The New York Times 2/25)
pwpwd

Bush Remarks:
President Calls for Constitutional Amendment Protecting Marriage (White House February 24, 2003)