In Washington, President Bush called on Monday for Congress to ban same sex marriage.

• President Bush: “An amendment to the Constitution is necessary because activist courts have left our nation with no other choice. When judges insist on imposing their arbitrary will on the people, the only alternative left to the people is an amendment to the Constitution, the only law a court cannot overturn.”

President Bush spoke before lawmakers and members of several groups from the religious right, including Exodus International which promotes what it calls “freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ.” The group claims it has helped hundreds of thousands of ex-gay men and lesbians become straight.