House passes same-sex marriage bill

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed “The Respect for Marriage Act” by a vote of 267-157, repealing a Clinton-era law defining marriage as between one man and one woman. The new legislation would codify same-sex marriage rights into federal law—also included in the bill are protections for interracial marriages. The legislation likely won’t pass in the Senate. The act is one of numerous laws Democrats seek to pass shielding behaviors that they view as threatened rights—including abortion and the use of contraception.

Why is this happening? The Supreme Court already ruled in 2015’s Obergefell v. Hodges that there was a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. Lawmakers are citing the concurrence of Justice Clarence Thomas in Dobbs v. Jackson—which argued that court decisions such as Obergefell need to be reconsidered—as evidence that those rights need to be codified. Many Republicans in Congress argue the Supreme Court made clear in its ruling that Dobbs pertained only to life and abortion. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, called the vote on the bill a charade and blamed Democrats for trying to stoke unfounded fears.

Dig deeper: Read Steve West’s article in Liberties about former county clerk Kim Davis’ legal ordeal for refusing to sign same-sex marriage licenses.