The Senate passed an amended version of legislation Rep. Pappas helped introduce earlier this year to ensure strong federal protections for marriage equality, even if the Supreme Court were to reverse the precedent of the United States v. Windsor and Obergefell v. Hodges

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus and New Hampshire's first openly gay member of Congress, issued the following statement after an amended version of the Respect for Marriage Act passed the Senate. Pappas introduced this legislation alongside Congressman Nadler and his fellow Equality Caucus Co-Chairs in July 2022. The amended bill will now return to the House for a vote.

“I’m pleased that the Senate has now passed an amended version of critical legislation I helped introduce in the House earlier this year to safeguard fundamental rights for LGBTQ+ Americans,” said Congressman Chris Pappas. “I urge House leadership to bring this legislation back to the floor swiftly so that we can send this bill to the President’s desk as soon as possible and ensure strong federal protections for marriage equality. I call on my House colleagues on both sides of the aisle to listen to their constituents and stand on the right side of history by voting to defend every individual's freedom to be themselves, love whom they want to love, and marry the person of their choosing.”

Specifically, the Respect for Marriage Act would:

    Repeal DOMA. The Supreme Court effectively rendered DOMA inert with its landmark decisions in United States v. Windsor and Obergefell. This unconstitutional and discriminatory law, however, still officially remains on the books. The bill would repeal this statute once and for all.

    Enshrine Marriage Equality for Federal Law Purposes. The bill requires, for federal law purposes, that an individual be considered married if the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed. This gives same-sex and interracial couples additional certainty that they will continue to enjoy equal treatment under federal law as all other married couples - as the Constitution requires.

    Provide Additional Legal Protections from Individuals Seeking to Undermine Marriage Equality While Acting Under Color of State Law. The bill prohibits any person acting under color of 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, provides the Attorney General with the authority to pursue enforcement actions, and creates a private right of action for any individual harmed by a violation of this provision.