Washington, DC—Today, Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-21) released the following statement after the House voted to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which would enshrine marriage equality for the purposes of federal law, provide additional protections for individuals in same-sex or interracial marriages, and repeal the discriminatory and unconstitutional Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which unjustly targeted same-sex couples.

“Who one loves is not up for debate,” said Rep. Frankel. “When two adults choose to commit to one another and build their lives together, they should be able to trust that the government will recognize their marriage. When the Supreme Court undermined access to abortion care, they left the door open to prohibiting same sex and interracial marriages.  This bipartisan bill would stop these extreme efforts in their tracks.”

The bill passed the House by a vote of 267-157. It now heads to the Senate for approval.

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) and Loving v. Virginia (1967) protected the rights to same-sex and interracial marriages, respectively, under the U.S. Constitution, and these cases remain the law of the land. However, the Supreme Court’s reasoning in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to overturn right to abortion could be used in the future to threaten other fundamental rights, including the right to marriage equality. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas argued in a concurring opinion released last month that the Supreme Court “should reconsider” its past rulings, including Obergefell.

The Respect for Marriage Act would proactively protect marriage equality to ensure long-term stability for LGBTQ+ and interracial families by providing important statutory protections for their marriages.

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