The US House of Representatives has passed a landmark bill that would enshrine federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriage.
It will now head to the desk of President Joe Biden, who has previously shown his support for the legislation and said he looks forward to signing it into law.
“Today, we stand up to the values the vast majority of Americans hold dear – a belief in the dignity, beauty and divinity in every person in abiding respect for love so powerful that it binds two people together,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on 8 December.
The Respect for Marriage Act passed the Democratic-led House by a vote of 258-169-1.
It was supported by all Democrats and 39 Republicans.
The bill originally passed the house in July before the Senate on 29 November.
Join @SenSchumer, Members of @LGBTEqCaucus, advocates and me at the U.S. Capitol to sign the Respect for Marriage Act, a major victory for freedom, dignity and equality by enshrining into federal law marriage equality for same sex and interracial couples. https://t.co/dDlvZiczxd
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) December 8, 2022
The current version of it contains an amendment giving additional protections for religious liberty and faith-based nonprofits, something that Republicans were in favour of.
The overturning of Roe v. Wade earlier this year threw other rights into question, with advocates pushing Congress to enshrine them into law as a result.
In his opinion of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, Justice Clarence Thomas called into question the legality of rights such as same-sex marriage.
He said the Supreme Court should “reconsider” decisions like Obergefell v. Hodges, which introduced marriage equality to all 50 states in 2015.
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