Heinrich on Historic Respect for Marriage Act: Love is Love is now the Law of the Land

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a cosponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act, issued the following statement after President Joe Biden signed the bill into law to protect marriage equality:

 

“On this historic day, our country has taken a major step forward in our march toward full equality for all Americans, regardless of who they are or whom they love. ‘Love is Love’ is now the law of the land.

 

“Nearly a decade ago, New Mexico became one of the first states in the nation to recognize same-sex marriages when the New Mexico Supreme Court found that our state constitution requires that same-sex couples be treated equally under the law and have the same fundamental right to marry as other couples. Two years later, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to make same-sex marriage a right nationwide— following the precedent set by the Loving v. Virginia case in 1967 that recognized the right of interracial couples to marry.

 

“Given the civil liberties that we have already seen the current MAGA majority on the Supreme Court target, it was imperative for Congress to safeguard the marriages of same-sex and interracial couples and their families. That’s why I voted ‘Yes’ on the Respect for Marriage Act. By signing the Respect for Marriage Act into law, President Biden and Congress have guaranteed once and for all that marriages for same-sex and interracial couples will have certainty, legal protection, and equal recognition across our nation.”

 

Background: The Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act on November 29 by a vote of 61-36. The House passed the bill on December 8 by a vote of 258 to 169.