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In an effort to counter the Supreme Court, the United States Congress passed a bill on Tuesday that aims to protect same-sex and interracial marriages. Called Respect for Marriage Act RFMA (H.R. 8404), the bill, if passed into law, will repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and codify both same-sex and interracial marriages. For more information regarding RFMA, click here.
DOMA, which was signed into law in 1996, defined marriage as “a union between a man and a woman.” Read more about it here.
According to The Guardian:
House Democrats argued that the Respect for Marriage Act is necessary to enshrine equal marriage rights into law and to protect all Americans from a conservative-dominated supreme court with an ideology that is starkly out of step with majority of the American public, and a demonstrated appetite for upending settled law.
Meanwhile, New York Congressman Mondaire Jones, an openly gay member of the House, reportedly said: “For me, this is personal.” He added, “Imagine telling the next generation of Americans, my generation, we no longer have the right to marry. Congress can’t allow that to happen.”
The push for the Respect for Marriage Act came in the aftermath of the Roe v Wade reversal by the Supreme Court and Justice Clarence Thomas’s suggestion for the Supreme Court to “reconsider” the decisions to other landmark rulings (contraception, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage) as well. He said, “In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell.” Read more about this here.
The inclusive bill was passed with a 267 to 157 vote. Forty-seven House Republicans voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act.
The bill is now in the hands of the Senate. The New York Times, however, describes the bill’s path as uncertain. Where do the senators stand on the same-sex marriage bill so far? Find out about it here.
It is irrelevant as it most certainly is going to be decreed unconstitutional.
When will it be seen that such unenforceable laws are designed to impress but not legislate.
The US Constitution really is not the regulatory part in play. US laws leave such issues in the hands of Congress (which means both The House of Representatives (its number of members based upon States’ population numbers) and the Senate (2 members for each State) to decide for the country. PLUS individual US States’ may enact laws for such issues as well.
The people who set this up in the late 1700s knew those parts would together ensure sound, sensible, and lasting good decisions For ALL.
A law can be lawfully regarded as unconstitutional, only if it legislates to remove rights for some, while affirming those rights for others. The Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional, affirming the status quo for existing habituated practice, while restricting it from those whe had been habitually denied it. This new law confirms the right to access, for those not presumptively accorded the option. The purpose of the Constitution has always been, to set and restrict the government, and to stipulate and protect the rights and freedoms of the People [the totality of individuals]. This is why property ownership, poll… Read more »
The Declaration that “Roe vs Wade” is unconstitutional did not outlaw abortion.
What The Supreme Court did was remove the “RIght To Abort” away from Federal Jurisdiction and Mandate to that of the 50 States; 48 of which are contiguous.
Abortion is not illegal within The United States; It is, now, illegal within some of the 50 states.
The Supreme Court returned the power back to the states and the expense of The Federal Government. That is not “Unconstitutional”; It is Constitutional.”
Glad I was able to blog something which stirred an genuine discussion.
Marriage is a religious rite, the government should have no role in it whatsoever.
Pity those whose happiness is dependent on a government action.
Marriage also involves factors such as finances, property division, support of offspring, estate planning, etc. Let’s be glad these have not been left in the hands of religious leaders.
As you are probably aware…
Ex President Bush tried – without success – to add a “Codicil” on to The Constitution to define marriage as between “Man (male) and Woman (female) without success.
Your blogg made a lot of sense and “Liberals” use – Morality under the guise of Righteousness – to buttress their Skewed, self-serving definitions of “Equality & Nondiscrimination.”
Christen marriage is between a man and woman. Burn in hell for eternity. God bless you
What about “Fire & Brimstone”?
What about “The 10 Plagues Of Egypt”?
What about ‘The Four Men Of The Apocalypse”?
What about “Doomsday”?
What about “Nuclear Winter?”
If you are going to condemn, do it with Style, Imagination and Efficacy!
Complete & Utter Annihilation of “The Homo Sapiens Sapiens”!
The US House of Representatives continues to pass legislations popular in the media (such as this one) and for Liberal Social Issues. The House also includes funding (“pork”) for many other government funding issues that make its Bills losses of USA Citizens as a whole. And then the House blames the Senate for calling them out on the “pork” and not approving the Bills. The House’s Chairperson should do better. Study “The Affordable Healthcare Act” pushed through years ago. 1300 pages that had little to do with Healthcare. And it really left USA Citizens paying much more for Healthcare than… Read more »
More scare tactics from the left. There is absolutely no ruling anywhere near close to banning interracial marriage. Just more whoring for votes.
When the Supreme Court struck down the portion of DOMA defining marriage as between a man and a woman, it legitimized marriage between two persons of the same sex. There is no need to codify either interracial or same sex marriage since neither are illegal in the United States or any of its States or territories.
Senate will squash it.