BREAKING NEWS: U.S. House passes Respect for Marriage Act
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the amended version of the Respect for Marriage Act on a bipartisan vote of 258-169, clearing the way for the legislation to head to President Joe Biden for his signature.
The vote came early today (Thursday, Dec. 8). The Respect for Marriage Act repeals the Defense of Marriage Act, passed in the 1990s and signed by President Bill Clinton, which prohibited federal recognition of same-sex marriage.
The House had approved an earlier version of the Respect for Marriage bill earlier this year, but the Senate version approved late last month included an amendment to “protect religious freedoms, “ and the amended bill had to pass the House again before going to the president for his signature.
A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Windsor vs. U.S. in 2013 had overturned a portion of DOMA, but the law remained on the books.
