The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a law to protect same-sex marriage in the United States, fearing a Supreme Court reversal of the matter. The bill, presented the day before in Congress, received the support of 267 elected officials, that is, all Democrats supported by 47 Republicans, during a vote received with applause in the Chamber. 157 Republicans opposed.
His chances of succeeding in the Senate seem more limited since ten elected Republicans would have to vote with the Democrats. And only Senator Susan Collins has so far said that she is ready to do so. Her inclusion on her agenda, therefore, appears to be aimed at forcing Republicans to take a stand on this issue that divides their electorate.
In fact, a large majority of Americans support same-sex marriage (71%), even in Republican ranks. But the religious right remains largely opposed.
“We cannot stand idly by”
In concrete terms, the law repeals previous legislation that defined marriage as the union between a man and a woman and prohibits civil registrars, regardless of the state in which they work, from discriminating against couples “because of their sex, race, , ethnicity”. or origin”
It applies, therefore, to people of the same sex, whose unions have been guaranteed since 2015 by the Supreme Court of the United States, but also to interracial couples, whom the high court has protected since 1967.
Except that the Superior Court just made a historic U-turn on abortion rights by annulling Roe v. Wade, who guaranteed since 1973 the right of American women to have abortions in the name of “respect for private life”.
Since then, progressive elected members of Congress have multiplied the bills. “We cannot stand by while the hard-won gains of the equality movement are systematically reversed,” said Democrat Jerry Nadler. Therefore, last week two texts were approved in the Chamber to protect access to abortion and this week another one must be voted on the right to contraception.
Source: BFM TV
