(Washington) A group of elected members of Congress wants to propose a law that would provide federal protection to same-sex married couples in the face of fears that the Supreme Court will reverse the legal recognition of these unions.
Posted at 2:53 p.m.
The “Respect for Marriage Act”, supported by many elected Democrats and a Republican senator, also aims to repeal previous legislation defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
“Three weeks ago, a conservative majority in the Supreme Court not only overturned Roe v. Wade, drawing a line under 50 years of case law, but it sent a signal that other rights, such as marriage between people of the same sex, could follow, ”Democratic elected representative Jerry Nadler said in a statement.
“Given that this Court can target other fundamental rights, we cannot sit idly by while the hard-won gains of the equality movement are systematically rolled back,” he added.
PHOTO J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler
On June 24, the US Supreme Court revoked its emblematic “Roe v. Wade” decision, which since 1973 had guaranteed the right of American women to have an abortion, raising fears that other historic decisions, such as the one concerning gay, legal marriage, would be called into question. nationwide since 2015.
In 2013, the high court struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act, which stripped gay married couples of federal rights, but the law still exists, which the new law seeks to correct.
The “Respect for Marriage Act” stipulates that “for federal law, an individual is considered married if the marriage was validated in the state where it was solemnized”.
“This gives same-sex couples and interracial couples added assurance that they will be able to continue to enjoy similar treatment under federal law as all other married couples — as required by the Constitution,” a statement said.