President Joe Biden released a statement in support of the Respect for Marriage Act, which passed a major hurdle in the Senate on Wednesday.
The bill passed a cloture vote in the Senate, with 12 Republicans joining, bringing the bill to a final vote in the chamber and defeating the filibuster. If the bill passes, it will go back to the House for a vote on the religious freedom amendment that was not included in the original draft. The bipartisan bill originally passed without the amendment in House, with 47 Republicans joining Democrats to back the legislation.
If the House approves the amendment, it will head to Biden’s desk for his signature. His promise to sign the bill into law ensures that the bill is all but guaranteed to pass.
“Love is love, and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love. Today’s bipartisan vote brings the United States one step closer to protecting that right in law,” Biden’s statement reads.
HERE ARE THE 12 REPUBLICANS WHO HELPED PUSH THE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL THROUGH THE SENATE
“I want to thank the members of Congress whose leadership has sent a strong message that Republicans and Democrats can work together to secure the fundamental right of Americans to marry the person they love. I urge Congress to quickly send this bill to my desk where I will promptly sign it into law,” he concluded.
.@POTUS releases statement after Senate’s cloture vote to advance the Respect for Marriage Act (which would codify same-sex and interracial marriage).
“Love is love, and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love,” says the president. pic.twitter.com/9W7Gik7KV3
— Gerren Keith Gaynor (@MrGerrenalist) November 16, 2022
Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Richard Burr (R-NC), Shelley Capito (R-WV), Susan Collins (R-ME), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Rob Portman (R-OH), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Todd Young (R-IN) all joined Democrats in the Senate to vote on the bill, which has received substantial criticism from religious conservatives.
Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts went so far as to call the Republicans supporting the bill an act of “betrayal.”
“Conservatives are deeply disappointed by the betrayal of Senate Republicans to protect Americans’ religious freedom and won’t soon forget the votes of the 12 Republican senators who cast aside an essential right in a bill that will weaponize the federal government against believers of nearly every major religion,” he said.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“All of us who believe in marriage must commit to defending this sacred institution as the bedrock of a flourishing civil society. It will be a litmus test for any aspirant for the White House in 2024,” he added.
