The U.S. House of Representatives will appeal a judge's ruling that struck down a key provision of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, according to a court filing on Friday.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White in San Francisco ruled earlier this week that a federal government worker should be allowed to enroll her same-sex spouse in her health insurance, and deemed part of DOMA unconstitutional.
Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama have also called DOMA unconstitutional and said that while they would continue to enforce it, they would quit defending it in court.
In response, the House of Representatives - which is controlled by Republicans - stepped in to defend the law. It will appeal White's ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, according to the filing.
A federal judge in Massachusetts issued a similar ruling against DOMA in 2010, and that case is on appeal in the 1st Circuit.
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