The Respect of Marriage Act which seeks to codify same-sex marriage, still “incredibly important” to Biden said White House press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre yesterday. The bill was left as unfinished business by the senate before leaving for August recess.
The White House Press Secretary was asked if Biden has reached out to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to ensure that he schedules a vote on the bill. She responded that she had no private conversations to read out but reiterated Biden’s support for the bill and for the LGBTQ+ community. “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 an advocate for the community,” Jean-Pierre said.
Whether or not the bill will pass in the senate is unclear as it needs at least 10 republican votes to avoid a death by filibuster.
The “Respect of Marriage Act” would ensure that all marriages are valid across states as long as it is valid in the state where the marriage license was issued. Prohibiting “any person acting under color of state law from denying full faith and credit to an out of state marriage based on the sex, race, ethnicity or national origin of the individuals in the marriage.”