REP. VARGAS VOTES TO PROTECT MARRIAGE EQUALITY

Press Release

Today, Congressmember Juan Vargas voted to pass the Respect for Marriage Act. This legislation would enshrine the marriage equality for same sex and interracial couples guaranteed by Obergefell v. Hodges and Loving v. Virginia for the purposes of federal law, repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and provide additional legal protections for marriage equality.

"I proudly voted for this legislation that would ensure the protection of marriage rights from bigoted attacks," said Rep. Vargas. "Americans' fundamental rights are under siege by the conservative-controlled Supreme Court and Republican party. As Republicans move to take away rights guaranteed to the American people, my Democratic colleagues and I are working hard to swiftly enshrine these protections into federal law."

The Respect for Marriage Act would:

Enshrine marriage equality for federal law purposes, by requiring that an individual be considered married if the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed;
Repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act, guaranteeing that even if the Supreme Court decisions that ended its enforcement were overturned, the statute would no longer be on the books;
Prohibits any person acting under 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.

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