In a bipartisan vote, the Senate approved the Respect for Marriage Act. This codifies gay marriage and interracial marriage.
Before the vote Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer said:
Millions of Americans living in same-sex relationships go about their lives with this horrible question in their backs. It’s a scary but necessary acknowledgment that despite all the progress we’ve made, the constitutional right to same-sex marriage is not even a decade old and exists only by the virtue of a narrow 5-4 Supreme Court decision. As we all know, the court has changed significantly since that decision.
As we’ve seen, the court’s decisions in the past can easily be reversed.
So today’s vote is deeply personal for many of us in this chamber. It’s personal for me of course, it’s personal to many of my colleagues and their staff and their families. Even though we have a few more votes, this is an opportunity for joy.
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I would like to thank Senators Sinema & Baldwin, Collins, Tillis, Portman and Tillis for their unwavering dedication and hard work. I am grateful for their incredible work and I am thankful that they persevered even though success seemed impossible.
And of course, I want to thank all the advocates, volunteers, and organizers not just for supporting this bill, but for everything they’ve done over the years to make the United States a fairer, more accepting nation for LGBTQ Americans.
While the bill was passed by bipartisanally, it should be noted that a majority vote of Senate Republicans thought the legislation was unnecessary. They believed that the Supreme Court wouldn’t overturn same-sex married couples. Republicans also said the same thing about women’s healthcare rights, and we all know what happened to Roe.
Now, the bill will return to the House for final passage. The bill will then be sent to President Biden to be signed into law at the White House.
Millions of Americans are now closer to having the fundamental right to marriage protected by their vote.
My Republican colleagues who voted for this legislation are acknowledged. Our collective efforts will result in the strengthening of federal law, which will benefit tens of thousands of Americans. That’s an accomplishment we should all be proud of.
And of course, I want to thank all the advocates, volunteers, and organizers not just for supporting this bill, but for everything they’ve done over the years to make the United States a fairer, more accepting nation for LGBTQ Americans.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a member of the White House Press Pool, and a Congressional correspondent with PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work was focused on public policies, with a focus in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of The Society of Professional Journalists & The American Political Science Association
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