On November 29, 2022, the Respect for Marriage Act was passed by the Senate. The next step is for the bill to get passed in the Democratic-controlled House. It will then get placed on President Joe Biden’s desk for approval. Since the bill highlights more democratic ideals, it is expected to pass.

What is this bill? This bill provides the ability for same-sex and interracial marriages and ensures some safety. Though it does not fully protect these couples, it does give them some security. This bill requires the U.S. federal government to respect and acknowledge the validity of same-sex and interracial couples.

At the beginning of the year, people were worried about whether or not the rights of same-sex marriage would be taken away because of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which protected gay marriage in addition to abortion. Senator Tammy Baldwin stated that this bill will ease “anxieties and fears” that arose from the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

With this bill passing, there has been confusion on what this bill does and does not do. This bill secures awareness of marriage regardless of race, sex, or ethnicity and demands the states that accept the viability of these couples and marriages. This bill does not require all fifty states to allow and show support to same-sex marriages. To add, this bill does not forbid states from proceeding to outlaw same-sex marriages in the case of Obergefall being overturned, a case where same-sex marriage was fought to be considered a human right.

This act is a great step for the Democratic Party as they try to secure more rights for the American people before they lose control of the House of Representatives. More legislation similar to this is likely to pass in the coming weeks.