WASHINGTON — The House passed legislation on Thursday that enshrines federal safeguards for same-sex marriages.
The Respect for Marriage Act was passed by a vote of 258-169 and will be signed into law by President Joe Biden, who has championed the bill. It comes after the Senate passed the identical bill by a vote of 61-36 last week.
Democrats overwhelmingly supported the plan, but the majority of Republicans in both chambers voted against it. Thirty-nine House Republicans voted in favor of the bill on Thursday, with one abstaining.
Your love is your decision,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. said on the floor Thursday, adding that there is “no reason” to expect that Republican Supreme Court appointees will not want to reexamine LGBTQ rights precedents after overturning Roe v. Wade. “The pursuit of happiness implies that you can love anyone you want.
The proposal, spearheaded by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., the first openly gay senator elected, would ensure that the federal government recognizes properly conducted marriages and guarantees full benefits “regardless of the couple’s sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin.” It would not, however, compel states to issue marriage licenses in violation of state law.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was present to call the vote and declare the bill passed. Applause erupted on the Democratic side of the chamber, with a few Republicans joining in.
In response to Senate GOP requests, the measure was changed. It was made clear that religious institutions would not be obligated to execute same-sex marriages, and that the government would not be compelled to safeguard polygamous marriages.
Because of the changes to the law, the House had to vote again after adopting an earlier version in July.
It’s an indication of massive political shift in America,” he told NBC News. “And it has meaning for people.” It’s true. It’s not a symbolic act. I know a number of married gay and lesbian couples who have been concerned since Clarence Thomas made his remarks. So, this is also reassuring to them.
The bill’s passage comes amid worries that the conservative Supreme Court majority would reconsider the right to same-sex marriage after rescinding the right to abortion. It represents the fast-expanding popular support for legal same-sex marriage in the United States, which reached a record high of 71% in June, according to Gallup tracking surveys, up from 27% in 1996.
The bill was passed by 12 Republicans and unanimous Democrats in the Senate, sending it back to the House. The Republican supporters included retiring Senators Rob Portman of Ohio, Roy Blunt of Missouri, and Richard Burr of North Carolina; centrist deal-makers such as Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina; an Iowa leadership member in Sen. Joni Ernst; and conservative Sens. Todd Young of Indiana, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming.
In an interview Thursday, Frank, who attended a bill signing ceremony with Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, commented on the measure’s passage, which came 26 years after the Defense of Marriage Act prohibited government recognition of same-sex marriage.
“I was present for DOMA’s birth.” “And this is one example when the funeral is a lot brighter event,” he remarked.