Thursday, Congresswoman Terri Sewell voted to send H.R. 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act, to President Joe Biden’s desk. This controversial legislation was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 258 to 169. This also repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), upholding couples’ right to equal protection under federal law and requiring states to recognize valid out-of-state marriages.
“No American should be discriminated against because of who they love,” said Rep. Sewell. “As the Supreme Court threatens to strip away more of Americans’ hard-fought personal liberties, I’m proud that this Democratic Congress is standing up for the dignity and equality of every American by sending the Respect for Marriage Act to President Biden’s desk. As the representative of America’s Civil Rights District, I will always fight for the equal treatment of all Americans under the law!”
Supporters justified the need for federal legislation on marriage, citing a statement made by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Thomas, in his concurring opinion in the Dobbs abortion decision, called for the Court to similarly reconsider the controversial Obergefell versus Hodges decision creating the right to same-sex marriage. Obergefell overturned state laws, including the Alabama Constitutional Amendment, stating that marriage is between one man and one woman only.
The Respect for Marriage Act will take several steps to protect same-sex and interracial marriages. While the Supreme Court has effectively voided DOMA, this federal law still remains on the books. The Respect for Marriage Act will repeal this statute once and for all.
The legislation will uphold married couples’ right to equal protection in all areas covered under federal law, such as Social Security, tax filings, and veterans’ benefits.
The bill prohibits state officials from denying recognition of an out-of-state marriage on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.
Sewell was the only member of the Alabama House delegation to vote in favor of the bill.
The final bill now heads to the President’s desk for his signature.
“Today, Congress took a critical step to ensure that Americans have the right to marry the person they love,” President Biden said in a statement. “The House’s bipartisan passage of the Respect for Marriage Act—by a significant margin—will give peace of mind to millions of LGBTQI+ and interracial couples who are now guaranteed the rights and protections to which they and their children are entitled.”
Sewell was recently re-elected to her seventh term representing Alabama’s Seventh Congressional District. She is the only Democrat in Alabama’s congressional delegation and the only Black woman to represent the state of Alabama in Congress in its history.
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