common sense

Pete Buttigieg goes viral with a tweet about the Respect For Marriage Act

Pete Buttigieg takes aim at Marco Rubio
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (Photo: Twitter)

Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg saw a tweet he posted about the Respect for Marriage Act go viral. The act was passed by the US Senate yesterday and will now be voted upon in the house.

“Strange feeling, to see something as basic and as personal as the durability of your marriage come up for debate on the Senate floor,” Buttigieg said in a first tweet, which was posted a few hours before the Senate passed the legislation.

Buttigieg followed it with a second tweet saying, “But I am hopeful that they will act to protect millions of families, including ours, and appreciate all that has gone into preparing this important legislation to move forward.”

Buttigieg’s original tweet has had over 70k likes and over 7,000 comments.

The Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act in a 61-36 vote. Twelve Republicans joined all the Democrats in voting for the legislation.

Related: Lindsey Graham proudly votes against “gay marriage” bill and internet tells him to sit back down

Chuck Schumer talks of his daughter marrying a woman

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) spoke movingly of what the legislation meant to him. He pointed out he was wearing a tie he’d worn to his daughter’s wedding to her now wife.

“For millions and millions of Americans, today is a very good day. An important day. A day that’s been a long time coming,” he said on the Senate floor. “Sometimes we’ve taken steps forward. Other times, unfortunately, we’ve taken disturbing steps backward. But today … we are taking the momentous step forward for greater justice for LGBTQ Americans.”

Three Republican Senators—Mike Lee (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)—tried to add additional amendments expanding religious freedom exemptions. However, they were all voted down before the final passage of the bill.

Related: Tucker Carlson attacks Pete Buttigieg for previously “lying” about his sexuality

The bill does include some exemptions for religious nonprofits and conscience protections under the Constitution.

Because of this, some advocates for LGBTQ rights say it doesn’t go far enough. However, Democrats feared it would not succeed without some concessions.

“It would be great if the bill went further, but we don’t have the votes for the bill to go further,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) told Changing America. “I think this is an enormously important first step and I don’t think there are any guarantees that the Supreme Court will not overturn the precedent they set recently with Obergefell, so this is important to protect the rights of same-sex couples across the country.”

Why was congress debating the Respect for Marriage Act?

When the US Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal across the US in 2015, most people regarded the matter as settled. However, with SCOTUS overturning Roe v. Wade earlier this year, there are fears the justices might re-examine same-sex marriage.

Because of this, the Biden administration has moved to codify same-sex and interracial marriage with the introduction of the Respect for Marriage Act.

After passing the Senate, the bill will now go back to the House for a second vote because of the inclusion of an earlier religious freedom amendment.

The House is expected to pass it, possibly as early as next week. President Biden has already indicated he will sign it into law as soon as it reaches his desk.

Responding to Buttigieg’s tweet, many also said it felt surreal to still be debating the issue of same-sex marriage.

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