Justices Weigh Striking Down DOMA

The tea leaves seem a little clearer today, with Justice Anthony Kennedy joining the four liberals on the Supreme Court in questioning the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal benefits to same-sex couples. The court-watching website SCOTUSblog said Wednesday that it looks “80 percent likely” that the Supreme Court will strike down DOMA. But the conservatives on the court questioned President Obama’s unwillingness to defend DOMA in 2011—a possible sign that they could be cautious about striking down the law. The now widely unpopular law, signed in 1996, bans any federal institution from recognizing same-sex marriage.