The US Congress on Thursday handed landmark laws to guard same-sex marriage underneath federal legislation, and President Joe Biden has vowed to rapidly signal the measure.

The vote within the Home of Representatives noticed 39 Republicans be part of a united Democratic majority in a uncommon present of bipartisanship, upsetting loud cheers on the ground lower than 10 days after the Senate handed the identical invoice.

“Immediately this chamber proudly stands with the forces of freedom,” outgoing Home Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated shortly earlier than the vote.

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The conservative-led Supreme Courtroom in June had overturned longstanding abortion rights, prompting lawmakers of each events to maneuver rapidly to forestall the courtroom from taking away same-sex marriage rights, as some feared it would do.

The Home, which had earlier accredited related laws, wanted Thursday’s vote to reconcile minor variations with the Senate’s model.

Biden has dubbed marriage equality one in every of his legislative priorities and has stated he’ll “promptly and proudly” signal the invoice into legislation.

Democrats and others saluted the historic vote.

“I started my profession preventing for LGBTQ communities,” Pelosi tweeted on Thursday, “and now, one of many ultimate payments that I’ll signal as Speaker will make sure the federal authorities by no means once more stands in the way in which of marrying the individual you like.”

The brand new laws, often known as the Respect for Marriage Act, doesn’t require states to legalize same-sex marriage however does require them to acknowledge a wedding as long as it was legitimate within the state the place it was carried out.

– ‘Unsuitable technique to go’ –

It repeals earlier laws defining marriage as a union between a person and a girl, and likewise protects interracial couples by requiring states to acknowledge authorized marriages with out regard to “intercourse, race, ethnicity or nationwide origin.”

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Public acceptance of same-sex marriage has grown dramatically in current many years, with polls now displaying a powerful majority of Individuals supporting it.

However some conservatives and the non secular proper stay opposed.

“I believe that is the improper technique to go,” conservative Republican Jim Jordan stated shortly earlier than the vote.

Home Democrats had labored with urgency to get the invoice handed whereas they nonetheless management Congress. Republicans received a slim majority within the chamber in midterm elections in November and can take management there in January, whereas Democrats retain slim management of the Senate.

The Supreme Courtroom in a 2015 resolution legalized same-sex marriages. Tons of of hundreds of couples have married since then.