A Democratic member of Congress is going to push for repeal of the law that bans federal recognition of same-sex marriage, following the Obama administration's decision to no longer defend the statute.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said he will reintroduce his bill to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act when Congress returns next week. Last year, Nadler got 12o co-sponsors for his measure, called the Respect for Marriage Act.

Nadler said he wants to "ensure that committed, loving couples can rely upon the legal responsibilities and security that come with the time-honored tradition of marriage." He is circulating a letter, co-signed by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., to gin up more support for his bill.

The administration's decision on Wednesday to stop defending the law known as DOMA, which defines marriage as being between a man and a woman, was criticized by Republicans who have the majority in the House.

Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, said President Obama "will have to explain why he thinks now is the appropriate time to stir up a controversial issue" while Congress is grappling with the economy and reining in federal spending.

Nadler's office says all openly gay members of Congress -- Frank, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Jared Polis of Colorado and David Cicilline of Rhode Island -- are co-sponsoring the bill. They are all Democrats.