WASHINGTON — Rep. Greg Pence, R-Indiana, has voted against a bill that would protect same-sex and interracial marriages amid concerns that the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade abortion access could jeopardize other rights criticized by many conservatives.
The House on Tuesday voted 267-157 to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, with 47 Republicans joining Democrats, congressional records show. Indiana’s House delegation largely voted along party lines, with all Republicans except one opposing the measure and the state’s two House Democrats supporting it. Rep. Trey Hollingsworth, R-Indiana, didn’t vote.
In a robust but lopsided debate, Democrats argued intensely and often personally in favor of enshrining marriage equality in federal law, while Republicans steered clear of openly rejecting gay marriage, The Associated Press reported. Instead, leading Republicans portrayed the bill as unnecessary amid other issues facing the nation.
The bill would repeal a law from the Clinton era that defines marriage as a heterogeneous relationship between a man and a woman, according to wire reports. It would also provide legal protections for interracial marriages by prohibiting any state from denying out-of-state marriage licenses and benefits on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin.
The 1996 law, the Defense of Marriage Act, had basically been sidelined by Obama-era court rulings, including Obergefell v. Hodges, which established the rights of same-sex couples to marry nationwide, a landmark case for gay rights.
But last month, writing for the majority in overturning Roe v. Wade, Justice Samuel Alito argued for a more narrow interpretation of the rights guaranteed to Americans, noting that the right to an abortion was not spelled out in the Constitution, according to the AP.
In a concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas went further, saying other rulings similar to Roe, including those around same-sex marriage and the right for couples to use contraception, should be reconsidered.
While Alito insisted in the majority opinion that “this decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right,” others have taken notice.
Though the Respect for Marriage Act easily passed the House with a Democratic majority, it is likely to stall in the evenly split Senate, where most Republicans would probably join a filibuster to block it, according to wire reports.
It’s one of several bills, including those enshrining abortion access, that Democrats are proposing to confront the court’s conservative majority. Another bill, guaranteeing access to contraceptive services, is set for a vote later this week.
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The Associated Press contributed to this story.
