Sen. Cruz introduces bill to strip benefits from same-sex couples

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, on Wednesday reintroduced legislation that, if passed, would strip same-sex couples of federal benefits.

Cruz, along with 11 other senators, is pushing the bill, the State Marriage Defense Act, which was first introduced in February 2014.

In addition to stripping federal benefits, the bill would allow states to nullify same-sex marriages should the U.S. Supreme Court rule against them later this year.

"Even though the Supreme Court made clear in United States v. Windsor that the federal government should defer to state 'choices about who may be married,' the Obama Administration has disregarded state marriage laws enacted by democratically elected legislatures to uphold traditional marriage," Cruz said in a news release supporting the bill. "I support traditional marriage and we should reject attempts by the Obama Administration to force same-sex marriage on all 50 states. The State Marriage Defense Act helps safeguard the ability of states to preserve traditional marriage for their citizens."

Also sponsoring the bill are Sens. John Boozman, R-Ariz., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Steve Daines, R-Mont., James Inhofe, R-Okla., James Lankford, R-Okla., Mike Lee, R-Utah, Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Tim Scott, R-S.C., Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., Richard Shelby, R-Ala., and David Vitter, R-La.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutionality of same-sex marriage in late June.