Rep. Axne Votes to Protect Marriage Equality

Press Release

Today, Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) voted on bipartisan legislation that will enshrine marriage equality for same-sex and interracial couples for the purposes of federal law, repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and provide additional legal protections for marriage equality.

The Respect for Marriage Act prohibits States from denying recognition to an out-of-state marriage based on the sex, race, ethnicity or origin of the individual in the marriage. The bill also specifies that Federal law will recognize marriages as long as they were valid in the State the marriage occurred in.

In 2015, the Supreme Court's United States v. Windsor and Obergefell landmark decision effectively rendered the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that previously defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman, unenforceable and struck down state bans on same-sex marriage, holding that marriage equality was a constitutional right.

Despite this ruling, marriage equality is under threat. The reasoning the Supreme Court used in the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case to justify overturning the right to abortion could easily be used in the future to threaten other fundamental rights, including the right to marriage equality. Additionally, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the concurring opinion to Dobbs, and in it, Thomas explicitly called on the Supreme Court to reconsider its decisions protecting other fundamental rights, including the right to same-sex marriage as recognized in the landmark Obergefell case.

"Today I voted yes on the Respect for Marriage Act to enshrine marriage equality in federal law and ensure same-sex and interracial marriages will continue to be recognized," said Rep. Axne. "I will continue fighting in Congress to protect these rights."

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