SPOKANE, Wash. — The House of Representatives passed the Respect for Marriage Act (258-169) on Thursday. The legislation protects same-sex and interracial marriages.
Every House Democrat voted in favor of the bill, with another 39 Republicans also voting in favor of the bill's passing. The bill will now go to President Joe Biden's desk for his signature.
In Washington State, both senators and all 10 representatives also voted on the bill. Of the three Republican representatives, Rep. Jamie Herrera Beutler (R) and Rep. Dan Newhouse voted in support of the law. All seven Democratic representatives also voted in support.
Senators Patty Murray (D) and Maria Cantwell (D) voted in support of the law when it passed through the Senate on Nov. 29.
Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) was the only Washington Congress member to vote against the legislation. McMorris Rodgers is the U.S. representative for Washington's 5th congressional district and was reelected for a tenth term in 2022. She will begin her next term in 2023.
KREM 2 reached out to McMorris Rogers's office for a statement on her vote against the legislation:
I believe the issue of same-sex marriage was settled by the Supreme Court in 2015. I also had concerns about how this bill inadequately protects religious freedom.
Additionally, here is some background information to help inform your reporting.
The issue of the equal right to marriage for same-sex couples has already been settled by the Supreme Court.
- United States v. Windsor, the Supreme Court ruled the federal government cannot discriminate against married lesbian and gay couples when determining federal benefits and protections.
- Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruled all states must issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and recognize same-sex marriages validly performed in other states.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, however, House Democrats have falsely claimed the Court has plans to overturn these decisions. This is simply not true. In fact, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization explicitly states, “[W]e emphasize that our decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right. Nothing in this opinion should be understood to cast doubt on precedents that do not concern abortion.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: Search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com