Maloney Presides Over Vote to Protect Marriage Equality

Press Release

Today, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) voted to protect marriage equality by helping pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which will provide federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. This legislation has already passed the Senate and will now head to President Biden's desk to be signed into law.

"While I hope the day never comes that this legislation will be necessary, recent decisions by the Supreme Court to strip away Americans' rights proved that we cannot rely on the Court to protect marriage equality," said Rep. Maloney. "Today, I was proud to join colleagues from both sides of the aisle to enshrine marriage equality into law and protect the rights of the millions of Americans in same-sex and interracial marriages."

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Background on Respect for Marriage Act:

The Supreme Court's opinion in the Dobbs decision indicated the Court would consider attacking the rights of same-sex and interracial couples in the future.
Rep. Maloney is New York's first openly gay Representative, and is the highest-ranking gay member of Congress. He currently serves as co-chair of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, and has been a Congressional leader on LGBT equality during his decade in Congress.
Rep. Maloney co-led the introduction of this legislation on July 18, 2022, with his fellow co-chairs of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus and the chairs of the Congressional Black, Hispanic, and Asian Pacific American Caucuses.
The Respect for Marriage Act:
Repeals the Defense of Marriage Act: H.R. 8404 repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act so it will not take effect again if the Supreme Court overturns its landmark marriage equality decisions, United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges.
The Defense of Marriage Act restricts marriage for federal purposes to one man and one woman and enables states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.
Protects Federal Marriage Equality: H.R. 8404 requires the federal government to recognize all marriages performed under state law, meaning interracial and same-sex married couples cannot be denied the federal benefits of marriage based on the whims of a presidential administration.
Requires States to Recognize Out-of-State Marriages: H.R. 8404 requires states to recognize marriages performed in other states, including interracial and same-sex marriages, even if those marriages would be illegal to perform in that state, reinforcing the Supreme Court's decisions in Windsor, Obergefell, and Loving v. Virginia (the case establishing the right to interracial marriage).

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