Congress Approves Marriage Equality in House Destinies; Joe Biden is next to sign protections for gay and mixed-race unions

The House of Representatives on Thursday finally approved legislation to ensure federal recognition of gay and interracial unions, marking a final milestone in Congress before it goes to President Joe Biden.

The law passed by a vote of 258 to 169. A member of the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), along with 38 other GOP members, voted in favor of the bill. Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), who was the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee in the last midterm elections, along with Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) voted.

Democrats erupted in cheers as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the final tally, with some LGBTQ members, including New York’s Sean Patrick Maloney and California’s Mark Takano, hugging their peers. Barney Frank, the former congressman who was one of the most prominent openly gay members, stood on the floor as he voted, chatting and shaking hands with former colleagues.

The bill, the Respect for Marriage Act, was introduced after the Supreme Court decision, Roe vs. Wade, amid concerns that the rationale for breaking precedent on abortion would serve as a basis for overturning other Supreme Court decisions. In a unanimous opinion on the abortion ruling, Justice Clarence Thompson said the court would review the same-sex marriage and birth control rulings.

The bill’s prospects improved significantly last month as the 12 Republicans joined all Senate Democrats in moving the bill forward, allowing supporters to pass the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster. This paved the way for a later passage in the Senate.

The bill does not require states to allow same-sex and interracial couples to marry, but it does require the federal government to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages. To garner more bipartisan support, additional provisions were added clarifying that religious organizations and non-profit organizations are not required to provide services or goods for wedding ceremonies. Another provision protects the freedom of religion and protection of conscience provided for by the Constitution or federal legislation.

Republican opponents argued that the legislation would threaten the rights of religious institutions, despite existing safeguards. In his protest against the Respect for Marriage Act, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said he is attacking supporters of the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling.

But advocates argued that their arguments were contradictory and that this was an issue the right should embrace.

“I’m shocked that conservatives with a libertarian streak think that somehow we’re not getting into this,” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said before the vote.

Noting the ongoing threats facing the LGBTQ community, Hoyer condemned the attack on an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs last month. “There is no place for violence, but let’s be clear. Let’s judge everything. Let’s do what we can to protect it and let’s not continue this concerted effort to intimidate the court.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote in the Washington Post on Thursday that the bill would ensure that “the federal government never again stands in the way of marrying the person you love.” At one point, when the appeal won a majority, she checked the score when it became clear that the legislation would garner significant Republican support.

She told reporters that the vote has special significance because it will be one of her final bills before she steps down as Speaker and also because her first speech on the House floor will be about the need to fight HIV and AIDS. She also noted that the vote coincided with the date of Brittney Griner’s release. She is free to go to her wife’s house the same day we pass the Respect for Marriage Act.

That the bill received such support from members of both parties reflects how much public opinion on same-sex marriage has changed, even in the past decade. The law was a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, a law to end the recognition of same-sex marriages passed in 1996 with bipartisan support.

In a signing ceremony after the vote, Pelosi joined Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer as well as some of his major sponsors, including Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), the first lesbian elected to Congress. Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI). and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), who among other Republicans contributed to the rally’s support.

“I was there for DOMA’s birth, so I’m very grateful to be able to be a part of the funeral,” Frank said at the ceremony. He later believed: “It’s a funeral in New Orleans.” Keep playing and parading.

He told Deadline that he was not surprised by the bill, as the entire country has had protections for same-sex marriage for more than seven years. “Reality trumps prejudice,” he said. “Prejudice survives when there is no reality and people think of all these horrible things. And then reality kicks in, and there’s nothing negative.” He also noted that “the only time we’re ever going to get anything positive for LGBT rights is when you have a Democratic President and a Democratic House and ‘ a Democratic Senate,” he also noted. that it happened during the crippled session.

The 2015 Supreme Court decision in Obergefell vs. Hodges recognized the right to same-sex marriage nationwide.

If the Supreme Court overturns the Obergefell, it would mean that states could once again restrict same-sex marriage rights. But passing the Respect for Marriage Act would mean they would have to recognize marriages contracted in other states. The bill would also entrench rights and benefits at the federal level.