Rep. Stevens Celebrates Passage of the Respect For Marriage Act
Washington, DC– Today, Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11), a Member of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, celebrates the passage of H.R. 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act. The Respect for Marriage Act repeals the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act, protects marriage equality for federal purposes, and provides additional protections at the state level.
“When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, they opened the door for attacks on marriage equality,” said Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11). “Same-sex and interracial couples should not have to live in fear of their marriage being invalidated by an extreme Supreme Court. The federal government has a responsibility to safeguard the civil liberties, rights, and freedoms of the American people, including the recognition of marriage into federal law. Today, the United States Congress made it clear: love wins. I am so proud to have voted for the Respect For Marriage Act, and look forward to seeing it become law of the land.”
Specifically, the Respect for Marriage Act:
- Repeals the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Although this law was rendered inert by the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decisions, it remains on the books. Enacting the Respect for Marriage Act will finally erase the discriminatory law from the U.S. code.
- Protects marriage equality for federal purposes by ensuring that for federal law purposes people are considered married if the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed.
- Provides additional protections at the state level by prohibiting any person acting under color of state law from denying full faith and credit to an out of state marriage based on the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of the people in the marriage.
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