WASHINGTON – On Nov.
29, Oregon’s U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., shared the following statement
after the United States Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which
protects federal marriage equality for same-sex and interracial couples in the
United States of America:
“Nobody should face
the gut-wrenching pit in their stomach with the possibility that some
politically motivated Supreme Court justices might suddenly tell them that
their marriage is no longer recognized. But the right-wing activist justices
have made clear they are eager to inject their preferences into the most
intimate parts of our lives and have specifically threatened Americans’
marriages. So bipartisan majorities in Congress are stepping in.
“Generations of
Americans have marched, voted, organized, and raised their voices to move us
closer to a more perfect union with freedom and equality for all. My colleagues
and I – on both sides of the aisle – have the responsibility to not just
further legislation to ensure this reality for all Americans, but to do all we
can to protect the existing rights that so many Americans rely on. The right to
marry the person you love, regardless of gender or race, should not be up for
debate.
“Oregon protects
marriage equality for those who call this great state home, and with the
passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, these rights will now be protected for
all Americans in every corner of every state of our country. Protecting
same-sex and interracial marriage means the right to love and marry whomever
you choose will be protected regardless of the whims of an extremist Supreme
Court.
While our work here
in D.C. is not over, and we need to pass the Equality Act and end all forms of
anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination, let us not miss this opportunity to celebrate. Love
wins!”
Merkley has been a
longtime supporter of marriage equality and has championed LGBTQ+ rights and
racial justice going back to his days in the Oregon statehouse. Following
today’s Senate vote, Senator Merkley will continue his work to further federal
protections for all individuals, regardless of who they are and whom they love,
with an invigorated push for the Senate to pass non-discrimination legislation
that would protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation or gender identity.
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