House panel votes to ban same-sex marriage ceremonies on bases

The House Armed Services committee tucked a measure in the defense authorization bill on Wednesday that banned “marriage or marriage-like ceremonies” on military bases for same-sex couples, The Hill reports. The move came hours after President Obama said that he supported same-sex marriage in an interview with ABC News.

The measure, written by Rep. Steve Palazzo, R-Miss., passed the panel along party lines, 37 to 24. An additional amendment, sponsored by Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., protects military personnel from punishment deriving from expressing “their moral principles and religious beliefs” on sexuality.

(Image via govicinity /Shutterstock.com)