Bonamici Statement for the Record on Respect for Marriage Act

I rise today in support of The Respect for Marriage Act because everyone should be able to marry who they love. This important law will protect same-sex and interracial marriages.

When I was serving in the Oregon State Legislature in 2007, I helped pass the Oregon Family Fairness Act to give same-sex couples many of the rights afforded to married couples. In 2014, a federal district court judge found that Oregon’s ban on same-sex marriages violated the Oregon Constitution, and in 2015 the United States Supreme Court held in Obergefell that all people have the right to marry who they love.

It is imperative that we pass the Respect for Marriage Act because Justice Thomas cast doubt on rights grounded in privacy, including same-sex and interracial marriages, in his concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. The Respect for Marriage Act will enshrine this fundamental right into law and so it continues to be protected.

Although it is essential that we pass the Respect for Marriage Act, this legislation is a compromise. The bill as passed includes an overly expansive exemption for faith-based nonprofit organizations. This exemption is disappointing because it will allow legalized discrimination and undermine the fundamental principles of fairness this legislation is intended to uphold.

As Vice Chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, I am proud to continue standing with members of the LGBTQI+ community and their allies as we pass the Respect for Marriage Act. I remain committed to continue fighting against discrimination, including by enacting the overdue Equality Act to close gaps in civil rights protections.

No one should face prejudice and violence because of who they are or who they love. I urge my colleagues to support the Respect for Marriage Act and swiftly send this bill to President Biden’s desk.