WASHINGTON – American voters oppose the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the law that forbids the federal government from recognizing legally married same-sex couples, as well as efforts by the House Republican leadership to intervene in court cases defending the law, according to new polling released by the Human Rights Campaign.

Overall, voters say they oppose the Defense of Marriage Act: 51% oppose the law and 34% favor it.  Independent voters, who were instrumental in the Republican House takeover, oppose this law by a 52% to 34% margin.