Chair Cicilline Urges Colleagues to Support the Respect for Marriage Act

Today, Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus Chair, David N. Cicilline (RI-01), spoke at the House Democratic Caucus leadership press conference urging his colleagues to vote for the Respect for Marriage Act to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and ensure critical protections for same-sex and interracial marriages.

A transcript of the Congressman's remarks is below:

"Good morning, I am delighted to be here at the invitation of our caucus Chair and Vice Chair, and to say first that I am proud that the Democratic Party and the Democratic Caucus is responding swiftly to this anti-freedom – far extreme Supreme Court that is committed to really taking away freedoms that Americans have enjoyed for a very long time: access to abortion care, access to contraception, and even the access to marriage, the institution of marriage, and marriage equality.

"And so, we don't have to wonder if that's the Supreme Court's plan, because …we saw in Justice Thomas' concurrence specific reference to Obergefell and urging of the court to revisit the substantive due process cases that recognize those freedoms, those rights, for all Americans.

"Later today, the House will vote on H.R. 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act.

"These are economic issues because as in family planning, a marriage status confers all kinds of economic benefits in tax policy, in buying insurance, in securing a mortgage — so these are important to LGBTQ families.

"People build their lives — married families build their lives together knowing that the government will respect and recognize their marriages.

"However, same-sex couples all across this country are worried about the future of their marriages because of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs — and, in particular, Justice Thomas' alarming and extreme concurrence where he calls for the court to revisit seminal substantive due process cases. In specifically, as I said, calls out Obergefell.

"The Respect for Marriage Act will create stability and certainty for families worried about what the future may bring.

"Specifically, the bill does three things. It's a very simple bill.

"It corrects Congress's grievous mistake by repealing the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, that the court essentially ruled unconstitutional when it recognized marriage equality. Something we have a responsibility to do. When something is unconstitutional, we should remove it from our books, and it has to be repealed, and that's the first thing that the Respect for Marriage Act does.

"The second is, the bill establishes the definition of marriage in federal law to ensure that, for federal law purposes, valid marriages, including same-sex marriages, have equal status to any other valid marriage. So, it recognizes the definition of marriage for federal purposes.

"And finally, the bill prohibits any person acting under color of state law from failing to give full effect to an out-of-state marriage based on sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of the individuals involved in the marriage. And it provides the Attorney General of the United States with the authority to pursue enforcement; and it creates a private right of action for any individual harmed by these actions. And this is really existing law. If you're married in one state, it is recognized in all the other states. This will ensure that marriage, and access to marriage, is not denied based on sexual orientation, race, gender, ethnicity. And it will ensure that if you are married in the state lawfully it must be recognized by the remaining jurisdictions.

"And by passing this law we will make certain that those Americans who have settled their lives and ordered their families around the recognition of marriage equality will continue to be ensured that those marriages will be respected.

"I want to thank Chairman Nadler of the Judiciary Committee, Chairman Jeffries, the Chair of our Caucus, who were instrumental in crafting this bill and I look forward towards its swift passage in the House."

Founded in 2008, the mission of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus is to promote equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Caucus, which is led by the nine openly LGBTQ+ members of the House of Representatives, is strongly committed to achieving the full enjoyment of human rights for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. and around the world.

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