US House Passes Same Sex Marriage Bill

The US House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill to protect same-sex marriages amid fears that the Supreme Court could nullify marriage equality.

Forty-seven Republicans joined Democrats in backing the bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the federal protections for same-sex couples that were put in place in 2015, when the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges established same-sex marriage as a right under the 14th Amendment.

House Democrats introduced the Respect for Marriage Act and brought it to the floor for a vote as a preemptive step to protect LGBTQ rights. 

It is all known knowledge that the House had cleared two bills to protect access to abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling.

During debate on the House floor Tuesday, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), a sponsor of the bill, said it would “reaffirm that marriage equality is and must remain the law of the land,” adding that marriage equality “is and should forever be considered settled law.”

“All married people who are building their lives together must know that the government will respect and recognize their marriages for all time,” he added.