The United States House of Representatives approved a bill on Tuesday that would strengthen same-sex and interracial marriages at the federal level, with a bipartisan coalition supporting the measure, after the Court's elimination of the right to abortion The Supreme Court has set off the alarms due to the possibility that other rights criticized by conservatives in the country will be eliminated.
A total of 47 Republicans have joined Democrats in backing the measure, the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify federal protections for same-sex couples that were put in place in 2015, establishing gay marriage as a right. under the fourteenth Amendment.
The bill has been approved by 267 votes in favor and 157 against. Support among House Republicans, while far from a majority, has been notable and reflects broader acceptance of same-sex marriage as established law.
Party leaders have been divided on the vote on the bill, with the top two Republicans, Reps. Kevin McCarthy of California and Steve Scalise of Louisiana, voting against it. Republican number three Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York has joined Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota in backing the passage.
The measure faces an uncertain future in the Senate, which is divided and where it is unclear whether the bill will be able to win the support of at least 10 Republicans to push it through.
Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee, has urged members to pass the bill, saying during the floor debate that the measure "simply says that every state will recognize out-of-state marriages and not deny a person the right to marry on the basis of race, gender or sexual orientation.
On the other hand, Ohio Republican Party Rep. Jim Jordan has spoken out against the legislation, saying it was "unnecessary and wrong" for the House to address the bill.
Polls show that most Americans favor preserving marriage rights, regardless of sex, gender, race or ethnicity, a long-standing shift in modern mores toward inclusion. A Gallup poll in June showed broad and growing support for same-sex marriage, with 70% of US adults saying they believe such unions should be recognized by law as valid. The poll showed majority support among both Democrats (83%) and Republicans (55%). Approval of interracial marriage in the US hit a six-decade high at 94% in September, according to Gallup.
