United States senators voted Monday on a movement to invoke cloture on an modification to the so-called Respect for Marriage Act, advancing the laws one step nearer to passage.
The Senate will now vote Tuesday afternoon on Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee’s modification (which is a 60-vote threshold), Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford’s modification, and Republican Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s modification. Senators may even vote Tuesday on the ultimate passage of the invoice, which is ready at a 60-vote threshold.
“Unhealthy information,” said Lee on Monday night. “The RFMA—with out ample protections for non secular liberty—simply progressed additional within the Senate. Excellent news: There’s nonetheless time to undertake my modification and shield the non secular liberties enshrined within the First Modification.”
Lee has repeatedly raised considerations in regards to the contents of the Respect for Marriage Act, urging Democrats and Republicans to return to an settlement on his modification making a strict coverage that the federal authorities can’t discriminate on both viewpoint of marriage, whether or not same-sex or conventional.
In a letter despatched final week directed on the 12 GOP senators who voted for the laws, Lee emphasised that his amendment would “make sure that federal bureaucrats don’t take discriminatory actions in opposition to people, organizations, nonprofits, and different entities based mostly on their sincerely held non secular beliefs or ethical convictions about marriage by prohibiting the denial or revocation of tax exempt standing, licenses, contracts, advantages, and many others.”
“It will affirm that people nonetheless have the best to behave in keeping with their religion and deepest convictions even outdoors of their church or house,” the senator added, urging the senators to oppose cloture on the invoice except his modification is added.
“The free train of faith is completely important to the well being of our Republic,” Lee wrote in his letter, which was signed by 20 of his Republican colleagues and first printed by The Day by day Sign. “We should have the braveness to guard it.”
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