Supreme Court takes up same-sex marriage Federal Defense of Marriage Act; California's Proposition 8 will be reviewed NEW: Justices first will address questions of legal standing in both appeals Traditionally, the federal DOMA law would be defended by the Justice Department. But that responsibility would now fall to House Republicans after President Barack Obama declared his support for same-sex marriage earlier this year. In their order on Friday, the justices specifically asked both sides to argue a supplemental question: Whether congressional Republicans -- operating as a bipartisan legal advisory group -- have "standing," or legal authority, to make the case. The justices also asked both sides to argue a second standing question. California's governor and state attorney general have refused to defend Proposition 8 in court, leaving it to a private of coalition of groups supporting the law to file the appeals. The high court could decide the standing question alone and dismiss the appeal without addressing the larger constitutional questions. That would mean for now, same-sex marriages could resume next year in California. Those on both sides of the issue welcomed the high court's intervention. "That the issue will soon be heard by the Supreme Court is a vindication of our work to achieve equal protection under the law for same-sex couples," said Mary Bonauto, director of the Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, who has been litigating the issue for decades. This day has been long in the making, and we are committed to the success of this case. But a group that helped lead the effort to pass Proposition 8 in California said it was confident of prevailing. "We believe it is a strong signal that the court will reverse the lower courts and uphold Proposition 8," said John Eastman, chairman of the National Organization for Marriage. That is the right outcome based on the law and based on the principle that voters hold the ultimate power over basic policy judgments and their decisions are entitled to respect.