On December 8th, 2022, Congress passed a bill that protects same-sex and interracial marriage. Out of the 435 in Congress, 258 congressmen and congresswomen voted to pass the bill, with 39 Republican House members voting for it. The other 169 that voted against it were all Republicans.
If US President Joe Biden passes this bill, it will officially become a federal law. States will have to recognize marriages from other states that are same-sex but will not be made to legalize them.
House Member Nancy Pelosi was present to gavel down the vote. When it hit, the Democratic side of the chamber broke into applause, with a few Republicans clapping too.
"Your love is your choice... The pursuit of happiness means you can love whom you choose." - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
However, it is important to remember that not all members were happy with the passing. GOP Rep. Vicky Hartzler had pleaded to her colleagues to vote against the bill, saying, "I hope and pray that my colleagues will find the courage to join me in opposing this misguided and this dangerous bill."
We wish to see how the judicial branch will respond to this bill, as it states in the 10th Amendment of the Constitution, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Because marriage is not explicitly described in the Constitution, the question becomes what the judicial branch will do in response to this bill that forces States to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages.
Until then, we await further news.
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