House Passes Respect For Marriage Act, Sends Historic Bill To Biden

The House on Thursday passed the Respect for Marriage Act, sending the historic civil rights bill to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.

The bill, which passed 258 to 169, codifies protections for same-sex and interracial marriages. One member voted present.

It passed the Senate late last month, 61-36.

The bill does two things: It repeals the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 federal law that banned same-sex marriage, and it requires states to recognize valid same-sex marriages from other states. It also ensures the same protections for interracial marriages.