July 19th, 2022 by WCBC Radio

The House is set to vote on a bill Tuesday that would codify same-sex marriage into federal law — the move coming in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last month, after which Justice Clarence Thomas announced the court should "reconsider" its past rulings on rights to contraception access, same-sex relationships and same-sex marriage.

Thomas, in his concurrence to Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the decision that struck down Roe v. Wade, wrote that the Supreme Court should reconsider decisions involving a constitutional right to privacy that guarantees fundamental rights — including same-sex marriage and access to contraception.

His opinion sparked alarm among activists and Democratic lawmakers.

In response, bipartisan group of House members and senators introduced the bill, the Respect for Marriage Act on Monday, which would enshrine marriage equality for the purposes of federal law and provide additional legal protections for marriage equality.