WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar voted to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which protects the right for same-sex and interracial couples to get married in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.

“Our vote today protects the American people’s freedom to marry who they love,” said Rep. Aguilar. “These couples should not have to live in fear of a Supreme Court decision invalidating their marriage and upending their shared lives together. I am proud to support marriage equality and will always vote to protect the rights of all Americans.”

The Respect for Marriage Act repeals the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and ensures that people are considered married if their marriage was valid in the state where it was performed. Additionally, this bill provides state level protections by prohibiting any person acting under state law from denying full faith and credit to an out-of-state marriage based on the race, sex, ethnicity, or national origin of the individuals in the marriage.

Rep. Aguilar was recently elected Chair of the House Democratic Caucus and is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on House Administration and the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the US Capitol.

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