On Dec. 8, Alaska Congresswoman Mary Peltola joined all 219 House Democrats, along with 39 Republicans in helping to pass the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act,” which codifies same-sex “marriage” in federal law. President Joe Biden is expected to quickly sign the legislation.
Last week, Alaska Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski abandoned the vast majority of their GOP colleagues in helping Senate Democrats pass their version of the bill on a 61-36 vote, which included 12 Republicans voting in support. The bill needed 60 votes to pass the Senate, which means Sullivan and Murkowski could have stopped the bill if they would have joined the majority of Republicans.
The bill poses grave threats to religious liberty by mandating that every state grant “full faith and credit” to same-sex “marriages” performed in another state, while requiring that the federal government recognize polygamous “marriages” if they are considered valid by an individual state.
Numerous religious liberty organizations and advocates have warned that the legislation will force non-profit groups, private businesses and services that accept public funds to recognize gay “marriage.” This includes adoption services, homeless shelters and other charitable organizations.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
The bill also empowers future lawsuits against individuals or organizations that maintain a traditional view of marriage.
The 2015 Supreme Court decision in Obergefell said states could no longer define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, but had to recognize gay “marriage.” The official Republican Party Platform clearly opposes this ruling.
Worried that a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court might one-day overturn Obergefell, Democrats pushed the “Respect for Marriage Act” this year as a way to ensure that the high court could not unravel gay “marriage” by overturning Obergefell sometime in the future.
