A coalition of major conservative groups has sent a letter to Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), asking him to stand firm against H.R. 8404, the absurdly titled “Respect for Marriage Act,” which aims to cement Obergefell’s radical redefinition of marriage and punish dissenters. Led by Alliance Defending Freedom, the letter features signatories such as Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation; Ryan T. Anderson, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center; and Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council, among dozens of other leaders.
“The Act, which was suddenly rushed through the House without any public hearings or input, is an attack on millions of Americans, particularly people of faith, who believe marriage is between one man and one woman and that legitimate distinctions exist between men and women concerning family formation that should be recognized in the law,” the letter states.
It cites the majority opinion in Obergefell, which noted that many reasonable and sincere people of good faith around the world continue to hold this view of marriage. “But H.R. 8404 aims to shut down any disagreement, silencing those with the long-held conviction that marriage between one man and one woman is essential to human flourishing, a view that has existed from the dawn of time,” the letter continues.
The signatories argue that, while the bill “does nothing to change the status of, or benefits afforded to, same-sex marriage in light of Obergefell, it does much to endanger people of faith. . . . This legislation will only hasten and intensify hostility against them.” They also contend that the bill “goes far beyond merely codifying same-sex marriage in federal law” and extends into territory that includes harshly punishing dissenters.
They note that the bill “would require federal recognition of any one state’s definition of marriage without any parameters whatsoever,” including “plural marriages, time-bound marriages, open marriages, marriages involving a minor or relative, platonic marriages, or any other new marriage definition that a state chooses to adopt, including through undemocratic imposition by a state Supreme Court.”
The letter goes on to argue that the bill “effectively deputizes activist groups to sue religious individuals, organizations, and businesses that operate according to their sincerely held religious belief that marriage is between one man and one woman and also act ‘under color of state law.’” The proposal would also empower the IRS “to strip 501(c)(3) organizations of their tax-exempt status if they continue to adhere to their belief that marriage is only between one man and one woman,” a possibility that President Obama’s solicitor general, Donald Verrilli, acknowledged during this debate in the past.
“In sum, the proposed Act is far more extreme than codifying Obergefell, just as the so-called ‘Women’s Health Protection Act’ goes well beyond codifying Roe, and it is dishonest for its sponsors to claim otherwise,” the signatories conclude. The letter closes by calling on McConnell “to reject H.R. 8404 and to urge your colleagues to thoroughly abandon this harmful and unnecessary legislation.”