Scott Votes to Protect Marriage Equality

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), a member of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus, issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives agreed to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 8404 – Respect for Marriage Act. This vote represents final congressional passage of the bill, which now heads to President Biden’s desk.

“The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization upended fifty years of legal precedent and rolled back the rights of women all over the country.Justice Clarence Thomas released a disturbing concurring opinion where he made it clear that the right to marriage equality should also be reversed by the Court. The Respect for Marriage Act guards against such a possible radical future decision. It also repeals the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that prohibited federal recognition of same-sex marriage; I was proud to have voted against that bill in 1996.

“While DOMA was overturned in part in the 2013 United States v. Windsor decisionand fully invalidated in the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision, the action taken by Congress todayensures that marriage equality will be protected moving forward. I look forward to seeing President Biden sign this legislation into law to further guarantee that all Americans, regardless of who they love, have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

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