The redefining of marriage through Washington D.C. legislation.
U.S. FEDERAL HOUSE RESOLUTION
STANCE: OPPOSE
SPONSOR: Representative Jerrold Nadler
SUMMARY: H.R. 8404 will authorize all states to recognize the marital status of a couple, regardless of the sex of the spouses.
READ BILL: Click Here
STATUS: Passed the US Senate and Passed in the US House of Representatives.
On December 8, 2022 the US House of Representatives voted 258-169-1, as 39 Republicans joined Democrats in supporting it. It is now awaiting Biden's signature.
HISTORY:
Passed in US House of Representatives 12/8/22
Passed in US Senate 11/29/22
Passed in US House of Representatives 7/19/22
Introduced 7/18/22
UPDATE (12/8/22): The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Respect for Marriage Act on Thursday, December 8 with a vote of 248-169-1 vote, as 39 Republicans joined all Democrats in supporting it.
It is now awaiting Biden’s signature.
(The Washington Post) "The bill also would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. In addition to defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman, it allowed states to decline to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. That law has remained on the books despite being declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in United States v. Windsor and its 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which guaranteed same-sex couples the fundamental right to marry."
"The Respect for Marriage Act would not force states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples but would require that people be considered married in any state as long as the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed."
(The National Catholic Reporter) "While providing legal recognition for married same-sex couples, the Respect for Marriage Act would also shield religious groups that oppose same-sex marriage from providing "any services, facilities, or goods for the solemnization or celebration of a marriage." The bill would prevent churches and religious nonprofits that decline to recognize same-sex marriage from having their tax-exemption status altered or stripped."
"The Respect for Marriage Act could result in the federal government revoking religious nonprofits' tax exemptions and forcing faith-based social service agencies to place foster and adopted children with same-sex couples or to place those couples in housing as if they were heterosexual married people."
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