In 1996, Oregon’s 3rd District Representative Earl Blumenauer voted in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act. Later signed into law by President Bill Clinton, the act federally defined marriage as a union exclusively between a man and a woman. It also allowed states to refuse to recognize same sex marriages from other states. Representing Portland, much of Multnomah and Clackamas counties as a rookie congressman, it was an unpopular vote.

Today Blumenaur published a piece on the Huffington Post to announce that he has formally changed his position on the issue and is co-sponsoring an initiative to repeal the federal law. He says:

I long ago recognized and acknowledged the mistake I made, and I have spent time understanding the problems in my thinking and analysis. It has resulted in frank and important conversations with many gay and lesbian friends, and if anything it has strengthened my commitment to the cause of banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and has made me a better lawmaker.

The bill was introduced by New York Representative Jerrold Nadler and 91 co-sponsors. As with all bills, it must first make it out of committee hearings before the full congress can vote on it. It will then need to pass the Senate before the president can sign it into law.

Read the full letter from Blumenauer at the HuffingtonPost.com.

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