• Nature - Earth - Countries - United States - Government - Federal government - Legislative branch - United States Congress - Legislation - Respect for Marriage Act
• ont-uid: aeng3sah
• This is the main entry for the "Respect for Marriage Act".
• curation date: 2022-12-08
• The Respect for Marriage Act, abbreviated as RFMA (H.R. 8404), is a bill in the United States Congress to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), require the U.S. federal government to recognize the validity of same-sex and interracial marriages in the United States, and to protect religious liberty.
Its first version in 2009 was supported by former Republican U.S. Representative Bob Barr, the original sponsor of DOMA, and former President Bill Clinton, who signed DOMA in 1996.
The administration of President Barack Obama also supported RFMA.
Iterations of the proposal were put forth in the 111th, 112th, 113th, 114th, and 117th Congresses.
On June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges that the 14th Amendment requires all U.S. states to recognize same-sex marriages.
This decision rendered the last remaining provision of DOMA unenforceable and essentially made RFMA de facto federal law.
The future of same-sex marriage in the United States was put back into question in 2022, when a concurring opinion by Justice Clarence Thomas in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization argued the Court "should reconsider" the Obergefell decision.
If passed, RFMA would officially repeal DOMA and require the federal government to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages, codifying parts of both Obergefell and the 1967 ruling in Loving v. Virginia.
In July 2022, RFMA was reintroduced to Congress, with revisions including protections for interracial marriages.
The Act passed the House in a bipartisan vote on July 19, 2022.
Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin announced on November 14, 2022, that a bipartisan deal had been struck, and that they expected the legislation to reach 60 votes to break the filibuster.
A motion of cloture passed 62-37 in the Senate on November 16.
On November 29, the Senate passed it by a 61-36 vote, with a large majority of Senate "nays" originating from Republican Senators in the South.
On December 8, the House agreed to the senate amendment by a 258-169 vote, with one member voting present.
39 Republicans voted "yea".
A strong majority of Americans are in favor of same-sex marriage; interracial marriage is supported near-universally.
The final version of the bill divided American religious groups opposed to same-sex marriage; it was supported by some as a suitable compromise between the rights of LGBT couples and religious liberty, a position that was similarly taken by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but was prominently opposed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Southern Baptist Convention due to their views on sexuality.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respect_for_Marriage_Act
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Proposed_legislation_of_the_113th_United_States_Congress
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Defense_of_Marriage_Act
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Same-sex_union_legislation_in_the_United_States
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Interracial_marriage_in_the_United_States
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Anti-racism_in_the_United_States
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:United_States_proposed_federal_LGBT_legislation
• see also: Nature - Earth - Countries - United States - Government - Federal government - Judicial branch - Federal judiciary - Supreme Court of the United States - Cases - Obergefell v. Hodges
• (2022-12-08, https://19thnews.org/2022/12/respect-for-marriage-act-doesnt-codify-gay-marriage/) "The 19th Explains: Why the Respect for Marriage Act doesn't codify same-sex marriage rights.
If the Supreme Court reverses marriage equality, the landmark legislation offers protections for LGBTQ+ couples but falls short of a national mandate." The U.S. House approved legislation Thursday (2022-12-08) to shore up marriage rights for LGBTQ+ couples.
The Respect for Marriage Act has been hailed by lawmakers as a landmark law that will protect queer Americans for generations to come.
The Senate advanced the bill last month (2022-11), and President Joe Biden is expected to sign it.
But the bill doesn't codify the Supreme Court's 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that granted LGBTQ+ couples the right to marry.
Instead, it forces states without marriage equality laws to recognize LGBTQ+ marriages from other states.
It also declares all legal marriages in the United States must be recognized, even across state lines.
That means if a marriage is recognized in Maine, it must be recognized in Texas.
That part is seen as critical so that queer families can cross state lines to get married even if their home states don't offer those rights.
It also means that married couples can travel without having to worry that a hospital in another state won't recognize their marriage in the event that one spouse has an emergency and another needs to visit or make medical decisions on their behalf.
The same would be true for interracial couples, who the bill also protects - although the justices have not indicated that interracial marriage rights should be reconsidered.
LGBTQ+ people who are already married in states with bans would continue to be married.
LGBTQ+ people who want to get married in 32 states without equal marriage rights would have to cross state lines to get married, and their home state would have to recognize their union.
National LGBTQ Task Force Policy Director Liz Seaton, added, however, that many states would likely face tremendous pressure not to enforce their LGBTQ+ marriage bans.
"The vast majority of people in this country support marriage equality," Liz Seaton said.
"Because there's old laws on the books doesn't mean that the state necessarily has to do anything with them." Does this bill have religious exemptions, and what are they?
Yes.
Like current law, the bill states that churches, mosques, synagogues and other houses of worship don't have to perform LGBTQ+ marriages if it goes against their beliefs.
The same is true of nonprofits formed for religious purposes.
That does not necessarily include religious nonprofits or businesses that formed for other purposes.
For example, a charity taking state taxpayer funds would still have to follow state law.
Does this bill change anything right now?
In terms of impacts on LGBTQ+ day-to-day life, nothing has changed, and it won't unless the Supreme Court overturns its Obergefell decision.
The 2015 decision granting marriage equality nationwide remains in effect, and LGBTQ+ people can continue to marry in every state.
Moreover, Congress continues to stall on anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people first introduced in 1974.
That said, the vote does send a message that a bipartisan group of lawmakers can come together to protect LGBTQ+ rights, and that could be critical for future legislation. ...
• (2022-12-08, https://newrepublic.com/post/169392/full-list-republicans-vote-against-same-sex-marriage) "Full List of 169 Republicans Who Voted Against Protecting Same-Sex Marriage.
The Respect for Marriage Act seeks to protect same-sex and interracial marriage.
169 Republicans voted against." Here are the 169 United States House of Representatives (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives) - all Republican Party members - who voted Thursday (2022-12-08) against the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects same-sex and interracial marriage.
All 169 are Republicans.
Robert Aderholt; Rick Allen; Mark Amodei; Jodey Arrington; Brian Babin; Jim Baird; Troy Balderson; Jim Banks; Andy Barr; Cliff Bentz; Jack Berman; Stephanie Bice; Andy Biggs; Gus Bilirakis; Dan Bishop; Lauren Boebert; Mike Bost; Mo Brooks; Vern Buchanan; Ken Buck; Larry Bucshon; Ted Budd; Tim Burchett; Michael Burgess; Jerry Carl; Buddy Carter; John Carter; Madison Cawthorn; Stave Chabot; Ben Cline; Michael Cloud; Andrew Clyde; Tom Cole; James Comer; Connie Conway; Rick Crawford; Dan Crenshaw; Warren Davidson; Scott DesJarlais; Mario Diaz-Balart; Byron Donalds; Jeff Duncan; Neal Dunn; Jake Ellzey; Ron Estes; Pat Fallon; Randy Feenstra; Drew Ferguson; Brad Finstad; Michelle Fischbach; Scott Fitzgerald; Chuck Fleischmann; Mike Flood; Mayra Flores; Virginia Foxx; Scott Franklin; Russ Fulcher; Matt Gaetz; Bob Gibbs; Louie Gohmert; Bob Good; Lance Gooden; Paul Gosar; Kay Granger; Garret Graves; Sam Graves; Mark Green; Marjorie Taylor Greene; Morgan Griffith; Glenn Grothman; Michael Guest; Brett Guthrie; Andy Harris; Diana Harshbarger; Vicky Hartzler; Kevin Hern; Yvette Herrell; Jody Hice; Clay Higgins; French Hill; Richard Hudson; Bill Huizenga; Ronny Jackson; Bill Johnson; Dusty Johnson; Mike Johnson; Jim Jordan; David Joyce; Fred Keller; Mike Kelly; Trent Kelly; Young Kim; David Kustoff; Darin LaHood; Doug LaMalfa; Doug Lamborn; Bob Latta; Jake LaTurner; Debbie Lesko; Julia Letlow; Billy Long; Barry Loudermilk; Frank Lucas; Blaine Luetkemeyer; Tracey Mann; Thomas Massie; Brian Mast; Kevin McCarthy; Michael McCaul; Lisa McClain; Tom McClintock; Patrick McHenry; David McKinley; Cathy McMorris Rodgers; Dan Meuser; Carol Miller; Mary Miller; John Moolenaar; Alex Mooney; Barry Moore; Markwayne Mullin; Greg Murphy; Troy Nehls; Ralph Norman; Steven Palazzo; Gary Palmer; Greg Pence; Scott Perry; August Pfluger; Bill Posey; Guy Reschenthaler; Hal Rogers; Mike Rogers; John Rose; Matt Rosendale; David Rouzer; Chip Roy; John Rutherford; Maria Salazar; Steve Scalise; David Schweikert; Austin Scott; Joe Sempolinski; Pete Sessions; Adrian Smith; Chris Smith; Jason Smith; Lloyd Smucker; Victoria Sparts; Pete Stauber; Michelle Steel; Greg Steube; Van Taylor; Claudia Tenney; Glenn Thompson; Tom Tiffany; William Timmons; Jefferson Van Drew; Beth Van Duyne; Tim Walberg; Randy Weber; Daniel Webster; Brad Wenstrup; Bruce Westerman; Roger Williams; Joe Wilson; Rob Wittman; Steve Womack; and, Rudy Yakym.
• (2022-12-13, https://www.npr.org/2022/12/13/1142331501/biden-to-sign-respect-for-marriage-act-reflecting-his-and-the-countrys-evolution) "Biden signs Respect for Marriage Act, reflecting his and the country's evolution." President Biden signed into law Tuesday (2022-12-13) a bipartisan bill that codifies same-sex and interracial marriages with a large celebration on the South Lawn of the White House.
The president spoke before a crowd of thousands gathered to celebrate the federal protections in the Respect for Marriage Act.
"The road to this moment has been long, but those who believe in equality and justice - you never gave up," Biden said.
That long road is one Biden and the country have been on together.
In 2004, just 42% of Americans said they were in support of same-sex marriage, according to Gallup.
Today, it's 68%, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll to be released Thursday.
A dozen Republican senators (out of 50) and 39 Republican House members (out of 208) voted in favor of the legislation.
That's far from a majority of Republicans, and it's reflective of the fact that rank-and-file Republican voters have lagged in support of same-sex marriage.
In 2004, according to Gallup, just 19% of Republicans were in favor.
This week's NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found now that number has more than doubled to 43%, but is still shy of a majority. ...