Hatch: "This decision must not infringe on important concerns such as our fundamental right to the free exercise of religion."

Statement

Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the senior Republican in the United States Senate, and member and former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement following the Supreme Court's ruling today on same-sex marriage:

"The issue of same-sex marriage involves deeply held convictions on all sides of the debate. While I oppose discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, I do not support redefining the fundamental nature of marriage as between a man and a woman. But now that the Supreme Court has spoken, I will do everything in my power to ensure that this decision does not infringe on important concerns such as our fundamental right to the free exercise of religion."

Senator Hatch has played a major role in efforts to protect religious freedom throughout his time in the Senate. In 1993, he co-authored the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which passed in the Senate 97-3 and was signed into law by President Clinton.

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