WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Scott Peters (CA-52) issued this statement following President Biden’s signing of the Respect for Marriage Act into law.

“With this bill signed into law, we celebrate equality, fairness, and love. This law is a victory for civil rights and protects marriage equality for same-sex and interracial marriages for all Americans. Families can now be reassured that the federal government will continue to recognize their marriages no matter where they live or who they marry.”

The Respect for Marriage Act:

• Repeals the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Although this law was rendered inert by the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decisions, it remains on the books. The Respect for Marriage Act finally erases the discriminatory law from the U.S. code.
• Protects marriage equality for federal purposes by ensuring that for federal law purposes people are considered married if the marriage was valid in the state where it was performed.
• Provides additional protections at the state level by prohibiting any person acting under color of state law from denying full faith and credit to an out of state marriage based on the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of the people in the marriage.

Click here for Rep. Peters’ Respect for Marriage Act Floor Speech.