Saratoga County — Democrat Congressman Paul Tonko (NY-20), and Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21), each voted on Dec. 8 to send the Respect for Marriage Act to President Biden’s desk.
The landmark legislation takes several key steps to defend marriage equality, including upholding couples’ right to equal protection under federal law and requiring states to recognize valid out-of-state marriages.
The Respect for Marriage Act will take several steps to protect the inviolability of same-sex and interracial marriages, according to a statement released by Tonko. This includes: repealing the “Defense of Marriage Act; Enshrining Marriage Equality into Federal Law - which upholds married couples’ right to equal protection in all areas covered under federal law, such as Social Security, tax filings and veterans’ benefits, and barring discrimination by state officials - effectively prohibiting state officials from denying recognition of an out-of-state marriage on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin.