Respect for Marriage Act Statement from The Family Foundation

LEXINGTON, KY – Last night, the U.S. Senate voted on final passage of H.R. 8404, the so-called Respect for Marriage Act, without any of the three amendments that would have meaningfully safeguarded some degree of religious freedom. The Senate’s version of the bill will now return to the House for further consideration

Statement from David Walls, executive director of The Family Foundation:

“The U.S. Senate has profoundly disrespected marriage and trampled on America’s first freedom – the right of religious liberty. This bill is a club that will be used to target people of faith and Christian organizations, most especially faith-based adoption and foster agencies. No American should live under the threat of government punishment for simply abiding by their deeply-held beliefs.

“If this bill becomes law, it will be a sad day for freedom in America. But no vote of Congress or decision of the Supreme Court can alter the truth that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. We are thankful for the many Senators, including Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul, who opposed this dangerous bill and stood up for religious freedom. Despite this attempt to silence and intimidate those that hold to the truth of marriage, millions of Americans and Kentuckians will continue to live out their strong religious convictions,” concluded Walls.

In addition to imposing any false definition of marriage legally allowed in any state, the passage of this bill will expose individuals and faith-based nonprofits, like adoption and foster care agencies, to predatory lawsuits and further weaponize the IRS to target organizations that believe in God’s design for marriage between one man and one woman.