Supreme Court Rules DOMA Unconstitutional

In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the federal Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional on Wednesday.

"What this means, in plain terms, is that same-sex couples who are legally married will be entitled to equal treatment under federal law -- with regard to, for example, income taxes and Social Security benefits," wrote Amy Howe of SCOTUSblog.

The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, was signed into law by President Bill Clinton. DOMA barred federal recognition of same-sex marriages for purposes such as Social Security survivors' benefits, immigration and tax filing, and insurance benefits.

The law defines marriage as "a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife" and a spouse as "a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife."

The majority opinion was written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who was appointed to the Supreme Court by Ronald Reagan.