House passes Respect for Marriage act
On Thursday, December 8, 2022 the United States House of Representatives passed a bill that codifies federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages. The Respect for Marriage act means that the right to marry can’t be handed back to, or changed at the state level, and remains protected at the federal level.
The act was passed with majority bipartisan support with a total vote of 258-169 with thirty-nine Republicans crossing the floor and joining Democrats on the yes vote.
Speaker of the House, Nany Pelosi, said: “once signed into law, the Respect for Marriage Act will help prevent right-wing extremists from upending the lives of loving couples traumatizing kids across the country, and turning back the clock on hard-won progress.”
“At last we have history in the making, but not only are we on the ride sight of history, we are on the right side of the future: expanding freedom in America,” said Pelosi as she thanked her colleagues for their cooperation.
Biden congratulated Congress for taking a critical step to ensure Americans have the right to marry whoever they want.
“The House’s bipartisan passage of the Respect for Marriage Act – by a significant margin – will give peace of mind to millions of LGBTQI+ and interracial couples who are now guaranteed the rights and protections to which they and their children Aare entitled,” said President Biden.
Such moves on Congress’ part was deemed necessary when Justice Clarence Thomas published an opinion earlier this year that stated that he would like to see the Supreme Court reverse the 2015 ruling of Obergefell v. Hodges, which guarantees the right to same-sex marriage nationwide.
Activists everywhere began to fear that the Court plans to strip the LGBTQ community of their right to marry. The Respect for Marriage act ensures this will not happen.
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Featured image: Evelyn Hockstein|Reuters
