Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amended version of the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation Rep. Greg Stanton helped introduce earlier this year to protect marriage equality in federal statute. This would provide necessary protection in the event the Supreme Court were to reverse the precedent set by Obergefell v. Hodges.
Stanton acknowledged the historic step forward but urged his colleagues to continue working to extend full anti-discrimination protections under federal civil rights laws to LGBTQ+ Americans.
“With today’s vote, we’re defending every American’s fundamental right to marry whomever they love,” Stanton said. “But, while this bill is worth celebrating, we still have more work to do to protect all Americans from discrimination. Across the country, LGBTQ+ people can still be denied housing, education, or the chance to serve on a jury because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It's been nearly two years since the House passed the Equality Act. Now it's time for the Senate to do the same.”
The Respect for Marriage Act will:
- Enshrine Marriage Equality in Federal Statute. The bill would require the federal government to recognize a marriage between two individuals if the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed. This gives same-sex and interracial couples additional certainty that they will continue to receive equal treatment under federal statute as all other married couples.
- Provide Additional Legal Protections from Individuals Seeking to Undermine Marriage Equality While Acting Under Color of State Law. The bill prohibits any person acting under color of state law from denying full faith and credit to an out-of-state marriage based on the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of the individuals in the marriage; provides the Attorney General with the authority to pursue enforcement actions; and creates a private right of action for any individual harmed by a violation of this provision.
- Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. The Supreme Court effectively rendered DOMA inert with its landmark decisions in United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v Hodges. And this bill would repeal the statute once and for all.