Obama Cabinet member Arne Duncan backs gay marriage, one day after Biden comments Another top Obama administration official appeared to break with the president Monday by publicly declaring his support for gay marriage -- something President Obama has not done. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, in a television interview Monday morning, said unequivocally that he supports gay marriage. Asked if he thinks gay couples should be able to legally marry, he said: "Yes, I do." The statement comes a day after an interview aired in which Vice President Biden said he's "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex couples having the same rights as others. That statement sent the White House scrambling, as aides tried to claim Biden's comments were merely a reflection of the president's view -- though gay rights advocacy groups interpreted it as an endorsement of same-sex marriage and immediately pressured Obama to follow suit. Duncan's comments on MSNBC had the same effect. The Human Rights Campaign, a gay advocacy group, fired off a statement Monday morning saying, "Arne Duncan joins Joe Biden now in embracing civil marriage for committed gay and lesbian couples." Campaign President Joe Solmonese added: "There's no doubt in my mind that the president shares these values and that's why it's time for him to speak out in favor of marriage equality as well." Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan also spoke out in support of same-sex marriage last fall. Biden's comments over the weekend brought attention back on the administration's position, and were aired the day after Obama held his first re-election campaign rallies. Obama has signaled support for the gay-rights community, in both his push to overturn the "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning gays from serving openly in the military, and his administration's decision to stop defending the Defense of Marriage Act -- which defines marriage as between a man and woman. Faced with a flurry of questions about Biden's Sunday show comments, Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod tweeted: "What VP said -- that all married couples should have exactly the same legal rights -- is precisely POTUS's position." That's why we stopped defending the constitutionality of Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act in legal challenges and support legislation to repeal it.