WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH), a cosponsor of The Respect for Marriage Act and key supporter of the legislation, praised bipartisan Senate passage of the bill.
The legislation now heads back to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass and be sent to President Biden for his signature:
“This is a momentous day in the Senate and I am proud of my colleagues whose hard work made passage of this bill possible.”
“The American people want this issue settled, and with the passage of this bill, millions of married couples will get the certainty and peace of mind they deserve by having their marriage protected.”
“The Supreme Court acknowledged same-sex marriage as a constitutional right in 2015, yet current law allows states and the federal government to refuse to recognize valid same-sex marriages.”
“The Respect for Marriage Act, which has already passed the House with bipartisan support, simply guarantees that a valid same-sex marriages from one state will be recognized by the federal government and other states.”
“It ensures that valid marriages between two individuals are given full faith and credit, regardless of the couple’s sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.”
“Throughout this process, I also listened to the concerns raised by religious organizations and worked with my colleagues to strengthen the religious liberty protections in the bill while still preserving the rights of same-sex married couples.”
“A group of constitutional scholars who specialize in religious liberty have analyzed the bill and concluded that it does not pose new litigation risks to faith-based groups, but contains important protections that will now be enshrined into the law.”
“I believe that the rights of same-sex couples can and must coexist with religious freedom protections and that the rights of both groups can be advanced when people come together and work in good faith.”
“I look forward to House passage of this legislation and to President Biden signing it into law.”