Equality Caucus Statement on Delay of Respect For Marriage Act Due to Republican Opposition
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus released the following statement following the announcement that the Senate will delay consideration of H.R. 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act, until after the election.
"Rather than supporting the freedom of all Americans to marry the person they love, the majority of Republicans in the Senate are playing politics with the rights of same-sex and interracial couples in this country. These couples need the security of knowing their marriages will be protected, and the Respect for Marriage Act is a commonsense, bipartisan bill to ensure critical protections for them," said Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01), Chair of the Equality Caucus. "It is unfathomable that 10 Republican Senators are unwilling to commit to voting for the Respect for Marriage Act now. This fight, however, is not over. We are grateful for our bipartisan Senate leads who have been working hard to secure the necessary 60 votes to pass this critical legislation, and we will continue to work to ensure the Respect for Marriage Act becomes law before the year ends."
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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