Group of Senators Reach Compromise on Changes to Respect for Marriage Act
A group of senators said this week that they had come to a compromise for an amendment to the proposed Respect for Marriage Act which would enshrine marriage equality into federal law.
According to CBS News, the five senators announced in a statement that they have created “commonsense language to confirm that this legislation fully respects and protects Americans’ religious liberties and diverse beliefs while leaving intact the core mission of the legislation to protect marriage equality.” The amendment would protect religious liberty under the act.
The Respect for Marriage Act would require the federal government to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages in the U.S.
The group of five senators includes Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin (D), Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona (D), Susan Collins of Maine (R), Rob Portman of Ohio (R) and Thom Tillis of North Carolina (R).
Under the bipartisan amendment, religious non-profits will not have to provide services, facilities, or goods for marriage ceremonies or celebrations for same-sex marriages. The amendment protects religious liberty laws already outlined in the Constitution and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, according to the senators.
The amendment “recognizes the importance of marriage, acknowledges that diverse beliefs and the people who hold them are due respect, and affirms that couples, including same-sex and interracial couples, deserve the dignity, stability and ongoing protection of marriage,” the bipartisan group of senators behind the bill said.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has filed a motion to go ahead with a procedural vote that would advance the bill.
“No American should ever, ever be discriminated against because of who they love, and passing this bill would secure much-needed safeguards into federal law,” Schumer said.
“I hope, for the sake of 10s of millions of Americans, that at least 10 Republicans will vote with us to protect marriage equality into law soon,” he said. “The rights and dignity of millions of Americans depend on it.”
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Ak Phuong
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
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