The bill aims to federally recognize any marriage lawfully performed by any state, and force every state to recognize any marriage between two individuals without regard for the sex, race, ethnicity or national origin of those individuals. The bill also opens the door to federal recognition of polygamy as it would compel the federal government to recognize any new union a state comes up with, such as a marriage of more than two people.
In July, 47 Republicans joined bill sponsor Rep. Jerry Nadler and other Democrats in Congress to pass it by a vote of 267-157. This had a green light from House Republican leaders Kevin McCarthy and Steve Scalise. Meanwhile, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell declined to declare his public position on the legislation until Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a decision on bringing it to the floor of the evenly-divided Senate.
The said legislation, which is bound to be voted on in the Senate at the end of September, is now driving the Republican Party and its conservative base into different directions just two months before the midterm elections.
"With the bill's ultimate fate coming down to whether 10 GOP senators can be convinced to join all 50 Democrats in clearing the Senate's 60-vote filibuster threshold, the group called Freedom for All Americans is circulating a letter in support of the bill, signed by 400 current and former GOP political personalities," reported Calvin Freiburger of LifeSiteNews.
"As Republicans and conservatives, we believe strong families and lasting relationships strengthen communities, and civil marriage is fundamental freedom central to individual liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We stand with the 71 percent of Americans today, including a majority of registered Republicans, who support the freedom to marry for all Americans," the letter stated.
"We call on the U.S. Senate to pass the Respect for Marriage Act and reaffirm that marriage for gay and lesbian couples is settled law. Passing the bill will remove any uncertainty for the more than one million Americans who are building families, taking on the responsibilities and commitment associated with marriage, and caring for the one they love."
Democrats need a total of 10 GOP defections to clear the Senate's 60-vote filibuster threshold. Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis and Rob Portman have implied to support the bill. Senator Ron Johnson appeared to be supportive until he began to backtrack in response to pressure from the conservative media and pro-family groups. And now he is saying that he "would not support it in its current state." (Related: Woketard crybullies invade HISTORY as "Crusader Kings" game developer forced to inject homosexual marriage into 15th century simulation.)
Churches, Christian ministries appeal to Senate to junk RFMA
A Christian legal defense group sent a letter to speak for 2,000 pastors, ministers of faith and leaders of religious non-profit organizations to appeal to the Senate to oppose RFMA.
According to the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) letter, the act puts churches and ministries in danger of injustice simply because they hold a biblical definition of marriage as the union between one man and one woman.
ADF added that RFMA will allow other groups to file lawsuits against Christian ministries that provide services in concert with state governments, such as foster care. If passed, it would also require all states to recognize any one state's definition of marriage no matter what that definition may be, including polygamous situations or relationships of adults with minors. Congress would also authorize the Internal Revenue Service to strip the tax-exempt status from a church or Christian ministry that holds a biblical view of marriage if RFMA is passed.
"Since the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision, we have continued to see attacks on people of faith for adhering to their religious beliefs about marriage – just as the justices who dissented predicted," ADF senior counsel Ryan Tucker said in a statement, adding it would only further hostility against churches and ministries and millions of Americans who hold decent and honorable beliefs about marriage.
The Obergefell v. Hodges decision, decided by a 5-4 vote in 2015, has recognized the right to same-sex marriage and prohibited state laws banning same-sex unions.
The group pointed out that the act "aims to shut down any disagreement, silencing those with the long-held conviction that marriage between one man and one woman is essential to human flourishing, a view that has existed from the dawn of time."
Visit IdentityPolitics.news for more news about the views of Republicans and Democrats on different issues.
Watch the video below that talks about RFMA, which could legalize polygamy.
This video is from the Lori Colley channel on Brighteon.com.
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Sources include:
Act.FreedomForAllAmericans.org
ADFMediaLegalFiles.Blob.Core.Windows.net
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