Louisiana Republican representatives vote against federal same-sex marriage law
Dozens of congressional Republicans voted in favor of a federal law to cement the right to same-sex marriage in the U.S. on Tuesday, but none of Louisiana's five Republican representatives were among them.
The bill, called the Respect for Marriage Act, repeals the In Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 law that defined marriage as between one man and one woman. The law was ruled to be unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, but the recent decision overturning Roe v. Wade has spurred congressional Democrats into codifying Supreme Court opinions.
In addition to same-sex marriage, the law would codify protections for interracial and inter-faith marriages.
All House Democrats voted in favor of the bill, along with 47 Republicans. All five of the Republican members of Louisiana's House delegation voted against the bill, while Rep. Troy Carter, the lone Democrat, voted in favor.
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“With its decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court’s Republican-appointed supermajority tossed out nearly 50 years of legal precedent and severely weakened the Constitutional right to privacy," Carter said in a press release. "Now, right-wing extremists are leading a cruel assault on even more of American most cherished and hard-won freedoms – including the right to marry the person they love."
No other members of Louisiana's House delegation have released statements on their votes.
There have been growing concerns that the conservative Supreme Court would target other past decisions, leading to a push to put some of these freedoms into law. Justice Clarence Thomas — considered to be one of the most conservative justices on the court — said in his concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson that other opinions dealing with access to contraception, sex by same-sex couples and same-sex marriage should be reconsidered.
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No other justice signed on to Thomas' opinion, but it still raised concerns across the nation that other rights granted by the Supreme Court could be struck down if a federal law is not put into place.
It's unclear how the bill will pan out in the U.S. Senate, where it would need 60 votes to pass. The chamber is divided evenly with both parties holding 50 seats, meaning 10 Republicans would have to vote in favor of the bill if every Democratic senator is in support.
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This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana Republican reps vote against federal same-sex marriage law
