Harry Reid: Senate might try to repeal Defense of Marriage Act

President Obama's announced support for gay marriage seems to have the Senate thinking about equality. First, Sen. Tom Harkin announces hearings on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and now Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says the Senate might try to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act.

A day after President Barack Obama endorsed gay marriage, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid suggested Thursday that Democrats may move to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, the Clinton-era law that defined marriage as between a man and a woman. [...]

"If it gets on the floor, we'll be happy to take a look at it," Reid said Thursday. "It's an important piece of legislation." [...]

Reid would not commit to a timeframe for taking up the Defense of Marriage Act repeal, which was sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and has languished since passing the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote in November.

"I just don't know where it is now and we have a few other things to do," the majority leader said. "Presumably ... the Republicans won't let us get it on the floor anyway, but we'll take a look at it.

"It's not a Democratic problem, it's a Republican problem."

It's a little on the non-committal side, but it's much closer today to being something Reid would even think about trying to bring to the floor than it was yesterday, and that's a much welcomed development.

As of yesterday, the effort has one new cosponsor:

I support same sex marriage and will cosponsor the Respect for Marriage Act. #MarriageEquality #LGBT
' @SenJackReed via web

2:33 PM PT: Ask your senators to sign on to the Defense of Marriage Act repeal.