WASHINGTON — This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two bills that would protect interracial and gay marriage and contraception access.
The bills were a response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
While the majority opinion stated those rights were not at risk, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the Supreme Court "should reconsider all of this Court's substantive due process precedents" including cases involving gay marriage and contraception.
On Thursday, the House voted on the “Right to Contraception Act” which would prevent states from limiting access to birth control.
Every Democrat 220 and 8 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, including Indiana’s Democrat Congressmen Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN1) and Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN7).
Most Republicans voted against the bill, including all 7 of Indiana’s Republican Congressmen and women: Rep. James Baird (R-IN4), Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN3), Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN8), Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN9), Greg Pence (R-IN6), Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN5) and Rep.Jackie Walorski (R-IN2.)
Bucshon’s press team sent the following statement to 13News.
“This week, the House voted on a bill that would provide statutory access to drugs and devices that could be used to carry out abortions. Its vague language, which failed to specify that covered products must be reviewed by FDA and used pursuant to guidance from trained health care providers, is dangerous and troubling. Instead of protecting access to traditional contraception, H.R. 8373 would open the door to any number of harmful practices,” said Dr. Bucshon.
He also voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, which the House took up this past Tuesday.
“Based on Supreme Court decisions Obergefell v. Hodges and Loving v. Virginia the issues of concern in this bill, H.R. 8404, have been clearly decided. In the decision Dobbs v. Jackson the majority opinion unequivocally made clear the decision applies only to abortion and does not reflect the court’s view on any other issue. The bill brought forward by Democrats this week is unnecessary, divisive, and disingenuous. The bill is also an attempt to delegitimize the Supreme Court, a separate and coequal branch of the U.S. federal government, by implying Congressional action is necessary to codify their decisions. In an election year when Democrats should be focused on inflation, fuel prices, illegal immigration, and crime (issues important to the majority of the American people), they are bringing political messaging bills to the floor of the House in a desperate attempt to save their political skins. It is a dereliction of duty and the American people will take notice,” said Bucshon.
The proposed bill would codify both interracial marriage and same sex marriage into federal law. It would also repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman.
Every Democrat supported the bill, along with 47 Republicans.
On Twitter, Carson wrote, “Today I voted for the bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act that will protect marriage equality for same sex and interracial couples guaranteed by Obergefell and Loving in federal law, repeal the Defense Of Marriage Act, and provide more legal protections for marriage equality.”
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