The bill is largely a safeguard against potential action by the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, which made the Defense of Marriage Act unenforceable and enshrined the right to same-sex marriages across the country.
But the bill does not go as far as codifying the landmark Supreme Court decision, which mandated states to perform same-sex marriages.
The U.S. House passed its own version of the Respect for Marriage Act back in July, with all Texas Democrats and Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, voting for the bill. The House needs to vote again on the bill to approve the Senate’s amendments before it goes to President Joe Biden’s desk, which could be as soon as this week.
The bill does not require religious organizations to perform same-sex marriages, and religious groups’ tax status will not be impacted by what kinds of marriages they do or don’t officiate. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one of the most fervent opponents of same-sex marriage legislation in the past, backed the Respect for Marriage Act, citing its protections for religious freedom.
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