As the Campaign to Defend the Constitution notes:

This is the third time that religious extremists have pushed this Amendment to a vote in Congress. While once again the measure failed, the religious right is committed to continuing their campaign to violate the rights of gay and lesbian Americans.

Furthermore, the Federal Marriage Amendment is only one piece of their larger agenda. Their successful efforts to stop stem cell research, force bible classes into our public schools, and attack our children's science education leave no doubt that the religious right is on the warpath.

Tony Perkins, James Dobson, and other Christian right leaders immediately released statements vowing to continute the fight. "We and millions of other conservatives are committed to doing what it takes, for as long as it takes, to see that the great institution of marriage is protected from renegade judges," said Dobson. Perkins, head of the Family Research Council, blamed the Senate instead, calling it "grossly out of step with the American people." Christian right leaders like to point to the voting tallies in the 20 states that have passed gay marriage bans as proof that homophobia represents the will of the people; but of course these total bans mostly passed in sparsely populated red states and only represent the will of a few.