From July 19, 2022 post
Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus and New Hampshire's first openly gay member of Congress, helped pass the Respect for Marriage Act in the House of Representatives.
"The Dobbs decision was a devastating blow to Americans' health and individual freedom. And Justice Thomas's concurring opinion in Dobbs, cheered by some members of the House, is a chilling shot across the bow for what's next. It's a threat to the hard-earned freedoms the LGBTQ+ community enjoys, including the right to marry," said Congressman Pappas. "We are not taking these freedoms for granted and we are not going backward. Next year I will get married to the person that I love. It's unthinkable that we could have our marriage recognized in New Hampshire where we live but not recognized in other parts of this country. This bill will give LGBTQ+ couples the protection, stability, and dignity they deserve. I hope the Senate will swiftly take up this legislation and vote to defend every individual's freedom to be themselves, love whom they want to love, and marry the person of their choosing."
Specifically, this legislation would:
- Repeal DOMA. The Supreme Court effectively rendered DOMA inert with its landmark decisions in United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges. This unconstitutional and discriminatory law, however, still officially remains on the books. The bill would repeal this statute once and for all.
- Enshrine Marriage Equality for Federal Law Purposes. The bill requires, for federal law purposes, that an individual be considered married if the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed. This gives same-sex and interracial couples additional certainty that they will continue to enjoy equal treatment under federal law as all other married couples - as the Constitution requires.
- Provide Additional Legal Protections from Individuals Seeking to Undermine Marriage Equality While Acting Under Color of State Law. The bill prohibits any person acting under color of state law from denying full faith and credit to an out-of-state marriage based on the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of the individuals in the marriage, provides the Attorney General with the authority to pursue enforcement actions, and creates a private right of action for any individual harmed by a violation of this provision.
