Thank Our NC Senators for Helping to Pass the Respect for Marriage Act
Last Tuesday, NC Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis joined with 10 other Republicans in the U.S. Senate to pass the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act. The bill now goes back to the House, which passed the original bill in July and will likely pass the final version quickly, then it heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
What the Act Means
We still have laws on the books in 32 states banning same-sex marriage – including North Carolina. If the landmark Supreme Court decision (Obergefell v. Hodges) that legalized same-sex marriage in 2015 were to be overturned, as Clarence Thomas has stated he’d like to do, those laws would go back into effect. The Respect for Marriage Act simply requires all states to recognize marriages performed legally in any other state and guarantees federal recognition as well for all purposes, including Medicare and Social Security.
Reach out and thank our NC senators for standing up for marriage equality!
Sen. Richard Burr
(202) 224-3154
https://www.burr.senate.gov/email-me
Sen. Thom Tillis
(202) 224-6342
https://www.tillis.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me
To learn more:
- Senate passes bill to protect same-sex, interracial marriages (Washington Post, November 29, 2022)
- Same-sex marriage protected under bill passed by U.S. Senate with GOP support (NC Policy Watch, November 30, 2022)