With a 62-37 vote, the U.S. Senate on November 17th advanced a Democrat bill that would make same-sex ‘marriage’ federal law. Twelve Republicans joined all Democrats in the affirmative vote on the Respect for Marriage Act, betraying values held dear by many party members and voters, and effectively turning the act into a bipartisan bill and ending a filibuster. Final passage of the legislation, requiring 51 votes, is expected to happen after Thanksgiving break.
The so-called Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) will repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and will require the U.S. federal government and all 50 states to recognize the validity of same-sex marriage nationwide. DOMA, passed under the Clinton Administration, defined marriage as between one man and one woman and guaranteed the states’ right to uphold traditional marriage.
“The Senate had planned to hold a vote on the measure in September, but Democrats ultimately decided to wait until after the midterms in a bid to ease political pressure on Republicans—a move that appears to have paid off,” according to LifeSite News.
The RFMA poses a major threat to religious freedom as numerous conservative groups have pointed out. The Heritage Foundation warned that the RFMA would put a “giant target on people of faith who stand for the truth about marriage.” The American Family Association pointed out that it could be used by the Biden administration to “target as many Christian nonprofit organizations as possible.”
Brian Brown of the International Organization for the Family blasted: “This is a very disappointing development. It feels like a punch in the gut from people who regularly portray themselves as conservatives and people of faith, yet who have voted with the radical homosexual lobby and the most extreme elements of the Democrat party.”
For Brown, it is “ironic and outrageous” that seven of the republican senators who “betrayed us [conservatives]” also “betrayed their own state voters who passed marriage amendments.” This was the case with Thom Tillis and Richard Burr in North Carolina, Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski in Alaska, Rob Portman in Ohio, Roy Blunt in Missouri, and Mitt Romney in Utah.
The push for the RFMA is likely part of the aftermath of overturning Roe v. Wade. Redefining marriage and making it the law of the land in some ways anticipates—and protects against—an overturning of the Obergefell v. Hodges decision, the case that mandated legal recognition of same-sex ‘marriage’ nationwide. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe—which similarly invented a constitutional right to abortion—observers noted that Obergefell could also be overturned with the same logic. Justice Clarence Thomas had already called for such a future action.
Those lobbying for same-sex rights will certainly attempt to leverage the Republicans who voted for the RFMA to also enact the ‘Equality Act’ legislation that redefines ‘sex’ under federal discrimination law to mean ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ and thus boost the agenda significantly.
