A bipartisan group of senators said Monday they will be advancing the Respect for Marriage Act to codify same-sex marriage.
Sens. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., issued the statement Monday with complete confidence that the bill will be brought to the floor.
It would require the federal government to recognize a marriage between two individuals if that marriage was valid in the state where it was performed. The bill would also guarantee valid marriages between two individuals to be “given full faith and credit, regardless of couple’s sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.” The bill will not require a state to issue marriage licenses contrary to state law.
“The Respect for Marriage Act is a needed step to provide millions of loving couples in same-sex and interracial marriages the certainty they will continue to enjoy the freedoms, rights, and responsibilities afforded to all other marriages,” read the statement.
“Through bipartisan collaboration, we’ve crafted commonsense language to confirm that this legislation fully respects and protects American’s religious liberties and diverse beliefs while leaving intact the core mission of the legislation to protect marriage equality,” the statement said.
“We look forward to this legislation coming to the floor and are confident that this amendment has helped earn the broad, bipartisan support needed to pass our commonsense legislation into law.”
Nearly 50 House Republicans joined Democrats in July to pass the bill, which would enshrine marriage equality into federal law. Collins and Baldwin are the co-sponsors of the legislation.
The Respect for Marriage Act is said to be the Democrat’s response to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ signaling traditional rulings on marriage, sexuality, and contraception after the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
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