The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill protecting gay marriage rights, after the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade jeopardized similar precedents protecting rights to same-sex relationships and contraception.
The bill, which passed the Democrat-controlled chamber by 267 votes to 157 with the support of 47 Republicans, establishes federal protections for gay marriage and prohibits anyone from denying the validity of a marriage on the basis of the race or sex of the party. couple.
Now the bill heads to the Senate for a vote, where it faces unclear odds in the evenly divided chamber. House Republicans were instructed to vote conscientiously for the party leadership, which did not oppose the bill.
House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerrold Nadler sponsored the bill after the federal right to abortion was overturned when the Supreme Court struck down its landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade.
In a concurring opinion, Judge Clarence Thomas said the court should also reconsider its previous rulings guaranteeing access to contraception and the right to gay marriage in 2015, because they were based on the same legal arguments as Roe.
Some congressional Republicans echoed Thomas’ arguments. Republican Senator Ted Cruz said Saturday that the Supreme Court was “clearly wrong” in establishing a federal right to gay marriage.
Democrats argue that Congress should enshrine the right to gay marriage in federal law if the court reviews its previous rulings.
“With the historic Respect for Marriage Act, we ensure that marriage equality remains the law of the land now and for generations to come,” US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on the House floor Tuesday during the debate.
Democratic Representative Mondaire Jones, who is openly gay, said this was “personal” to him and encouraged lawmakers to expand the US Supreme Court “to protect fundamental rights once and for all.”
But Republicans such as Representatives Jim Jordan and Mike Johnson said the bill was a way for Democrats to “de-legitimize and try to intimidate the US Supreme Court” and “raise fear ahead of the November election.”
Under the House bill, states can still restrict gay marriage if the Supreme Court overturns its earlier ruling. But those states would be required to recognize marriages that took place in states where they remain legal.
The House will vote on Thursday on a bill to guarantee national access to contraception, another right that Thomas suggested the court revisit.
Democrats expect the bills to present a contrast to Republicans ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm elections, in which rising inflation challenges most Democrats in the House and Senate.
Source: CNN Brasil
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