Rep. Sara Jacobs Votes to Pass Respect for Marriage Act
Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-53) voted to pass the Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404), which would preserve marriage equality. This legislation will repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act, protect same-sex and interracial marriages, and provide additional legal protections for marriage equality given continued attacks from Republican electeds in statehouses across the country.
Watch Rep. Sara Jacobs’ Speech on the House Floor Here
Congresswoman Sara Jacobs said:
“This summer, I officiated my brother’s wedding, and it was one of the proudest moments of my life. The love Dylan and Kay share is incredibly special – and it deserves to be celebrated, recognized, and protected.
“That’s why I’m so grateful to vote for the Respect for Marriage Act – to honor their and so many other marriages that have been created and affirmed in the seven years since the landmark Obergefell ruling. This means so much not only to my family, but to LGBTQ+ communities in San Diego and across the country.
“Passing this bill will take the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act off the books so it no longer poses an existential threat to LGBTQ+ families. It will protect marriage equality so that a valid marriage in one state is recognized by all other states. And importantly, it will protect kids from discriminatory state laws and ensure that LGBTQ+ families can stay together.
“With the passage of this bill, Our government is finally catching up to the American people. This is long overdue, but it’s no less meaningful for my brother and sister-in-law and hundreds of thousands of other LGBTQ+ marriages across the country.”
The Respect for Marriage Act would:
- Repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act. Although this law was rendered inert by the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decisions, it remains on the books. Enacting the Respect for Marriage Act would finally erase the discriminatory law from the U.S. code.
- Protect marriage equality by ensuring that – for federal purposes – people are considered married if the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed.
- Provide additional protections at the state level by prohibiting any person acting under state law from denying full faith and credit to an out-of-state marriage based on the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of the people in the marriage.
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