Senate passes act redefining marriage

Twelve Republicans voted with Democrats in the Senate on Tuesday to pass the so-called Respect for Marriage Act. The bill would enshrine a right to same-sex marriage into federal law. Religious liberty advocates say the bill could infringe on the rights of individuals, churches, and organizations to express their religious views on marriage. Some religious liberty amendments were earlier added to gain Republican votes. But the Senate struck down three other amendments seeking more protections for religious liberty before 61 senators voted to pass the bill and 36 opposed it. The House must approve the measure once more before it heads to President Joe Biden’s desk.

How did this act come about? The bill gained support after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision in June, which overturned Roe v. Wade. In a concurring opinion in Dobbs, Justice Clarence Thomas said the Supreme Court should also review some of the legal reasoning used in the Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which recognized a right to same-sex marriage. The fear that the court could reverse Obergefell pushed many members of Congress to try to codify it into federal law first. Jay Richards with the Heritage Foundation told WORLD that Obergefell was never in danger and the act will trample religious rights.

Dig deeper: Listen to Nick Eicher and Myrna Brown’s discussion with John Stonestreet on The World and Everything in It podcast about shootings, brokenness, and Congress’ views on marriage.