Bernie Sanders Calls Out Hillary Clinton for Defense of Marriage Act

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is applauded by her husband former U.S. President Bill Clinton at the 37th Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa, Sept. 14, 2014. | (Photo: Reuters/Jim Young)

2016 presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders recently criticized fellow runner Hillary Clinton for attempting to defend her husband's support of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Clinton, former First Lady to husband and president Bill Clinton, said in a recent interview that when Bill was in office, he signed the Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA] in an attempt to prevent a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as being between one man and one woman.

The Defense of Marriage Act federally defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman and allowed states to refuse to perform same-sex marriages.

Clinton's recent argument has received criticism from those who suggest that those who approved of the Defense of Marriage Act years ago are now attempting to revise their position so they may appear to be in support of same-sex marriage.

Sanders, who was serving in the Senate at the time Bill signed DOMA and who voted against the act, recently argued that it is inaccurate for some to argue that signing DOMA was meant to protect same-sex marriage.

"Today, some are trying to rewrite history by saying they voted for one anti-gay law to stop something worse. That's not the case," Sanders recently said while speaking at the Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Iowa, as reported by Bloomberg. "There was a small minority opposed to discriminating against our gay brothers and sisters. Not everybody held that position in 1996," Sanders added. 

At the recent Iowa dinner, Sanders also suggested that another democrat will be elected to the highest office in the U.S.

"Eight years ago the experts talked about how another Democratic candidate for president, Barack Obama, couldn't win," Sanders recently said. "How he was unelectable. Well Iowa, I think we're going to prove the pundits wrong again. I believe we will make history."