(Progressive Pride Flag by Tomas Diniz Santos)
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Dec. 8 to provide federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages by passing the Respect for Marriage Act by a vote of 258-169.
All Democrats were joined by 39 Republicans in voting to pass the legislation. The U.S. Senate voted 61-36 Nov. 29 to officially pass the historic bill. It now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature, which Biden has pledged to sign “promptly and proudly.”
Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) was considered the driving force behind the bill’s passage through the Senate.
Designed as a vehicle to mitigate the fallout if the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority guts the constitutional protections for marriage equality, the bill was narrowly construed — in part to help guarantee that it withstands potential challenges from conservative legal actors.
Nevertheless, the Respect for Marriage Act is a landmark bill that has been backed by virtually every LGBTQ advocacy organization in the country. The legislation repeals the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act while enshrining into law substantive protections for same-sex couples.
“Today, we stand up for the values the vast majority of Americans hold dear, a belief in the dignity, beauty and divinity, divinity, spark of divinity, in every person and abiding respect for love so powerful that it binds two people together,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a speech on the House floor.
