Rep. Vargas Votes to Protect Marriage Equality
Rep. Vargas Votes to Protect Marriage Equality
WASHINGTON, D.C (July 18, 2022) — 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.
The bill will now go to the Senate for consideration. The full legislative text of the bill can be found here.
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Vargas represents California’s 51st Congressional District which includes the southern portion of San Diego County, all of Imperial County and California’s entire U.S.-Mexico border. Vargas was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012 and is currently serving his fifth term in Congress. He serves on the House Financial Services Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee.