White House: Same-sex marriage bill still ‘incredibly important’ to Biden
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday legislation seeking to codify same-sex marriage, left by the Senate as unfinished business before adjourning for August recess, continues to be “incredibly important” to President Biden.
Jean-Pierre, responding to question to the Washington Blade on whether Biden will reach out to Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) to get a vote scheduled on the Respect for Marriage Act, said she had no private conversations to read out, but pointed to a formal Statement of Administration Policy from the White House as of evidence’s support for the bill. “Aa you know, we are constantly in conversation with Congress — members of Congress,” Jean-Pierre said. “This is something that we put out a SAP when it first passed the House supporting the marriage equality bill.
This is incredibly important to the president. We heard from him back in 2012 when he was one of the first voices to talk about how important marriage equality was being ahead of many others.
He has been an advocate for the community. He will continue to be advocate for the community.” Jean-Pierre was making a reference to Biden’s comments in 2012 on “Meet the Press,” when he spoke out in favor of marriage rights for same-sex marriage and beat President Obama to the punch by several days in coming out for gay nuptials.
