'This has been and always will be about cynical politics,' said HRC President Joe Solmonese.

WASHINGTON - Fresh off a Senate hearing last week on the twice-failed "Marriage Protection Amendment," Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., has announced a Wednesday subcommittee markup of the amendment that would write discrimination against same-sex couples and their families into the U.S. Constitution.

"This has been and always will be about cynical politics," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "Political games in Washington are common, but when the lives of millions of American families are at stake, these hearings are an affront to American values."

The amendment failed last year in both the U.S. House and Senate to garner the two-thirds majority needed to pass - despite intense pressure from the White House and extreme right-wing organizations. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution will mark up - or analyze and possibly attempt to pass out of committee - the bill on Wednesday.

"It's time for Congress to stop placating right-wing extremists and get back to helping all American families," said Solmonese. "The American people want fairness and this amendment would not only ban marriage for same-sex couples, but it would also threaten basic protections like domestic partnerships and civil unions. While some try to cloud the issue, the amendment will not affect religious institutions' established right to decide their own rules on marriage."

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.