House sets line on marriage in court retort
The United States House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation yesterday to protect same-sex and inter-racial marriages amid concerns that the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe vs Wade abortion access could jeopardise other rights criticised by many conservative Americans.
The vote was 267-157, with dozens of Republicans joining Democrats to get it through.
With a robust but lopsided debate, Democrats argued intensely in favour of enshrining marriage equality in federal law, while Republicans steered clear of openly rejecting gay marriage. Instead, leading Republicans portrayed the bill as unnecessary amid other issues facing the nation.
The election-year roll call was partly a political strategy, forcing all House members, Republicans and
Democrats, to go on the record with their views. It also reflected the legislative branch pushing back against an aggressive court that has sparked fears it may revisit apparently settled US laws.
“For me, this is personal,” said Representative Mondaire Jones, D, who said he was among the openly gay members of the House.
“Imagine telling the next generation of Americans, my generation, we no longer have the right to marry. Congress can’t allow that to happen.”
Wary of political fallout, GOP leaders did not direct their lawmakers to hold the party line against the bill, aides said.
While the Respect for Marriage Act was expected to pass the House, with a Democratic majority, it is almost certain to stall in the evenly split Senate, where most Republicans would likely join a filibuster to block it. It’s one of several bills, including those enshrining abortion access, that Democrats are proposing to confront the court’s conservative majority. Another bill, guaranteeing access to contraceptive services, is set for a vote later this week.
Polling shows a majority of Americans favour preserving rights to marry whom one wishes, regardless of the person’s sex, gender, race or ethnicity, a long-building shift in modern mores toward inclusion.
A Gallup poll in June showed broad support for same-sex marriage, with 70 per cent of US adults saying they think such unions should be recognised by law as valid. The poll showed majority support among both Democrats (83 per cent) and Republicans (55 per cent). Approval of inter-racial marriage hit a sixdecade high at 94 per cent last September, Gallup said.