SALT LAKE CITY — The Respect for Marriage Act, which codifies same-sex and interracial marriage, passed the House of Representatives on Thursday on a 258-169 vote with 39 Republicans joining all 219 Democrats in supporting it.
The bill now goes to President Biden for his signature. It previously passed the Senate with Sen. Mitt Romney voting for it and Sen. Mike Lee voting against it.
Utah's Republican congressional delegation all voted for the measure on Thursday, with one exception: Congressman Burgess Owens was the sole member of Congress to simply vote "present." It is often seen as a protest vote.
"While today is undoubtedly a giant step toward religious liberty, my lone 'Present' vote signals a warning beacon that the war is far from won. Religious freedom cannot prevail until and unless individuals and small business owners practicing their sincere religious beliefs have explicit protection under the law. By protecting churches and religious organizations, we are only scratching the surface of the full scope of our First Amendment rights," Rep. Owens said in a statement to FOX 13 News released through his office.
But the other members of Utah's delegation signaled they were fine with the bill.
"Today I voted for the Respect for Marriage Act with strengthened religious freedom protections. The Supreme Court has already required all states to recognize same-sex marriages. It is my personal religious belief that marriage is between a man and a woman, but our nation must see that Congress is capable of coming together to overcome our differences in a way that respects our sincerely held beliefs. As The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints states, we must uphold religious freedom protections while respecting the right to same-sex marriage," Rep. Blake Moore said.
Rep. Chris Stewart said he was proud to support the bill.
“I proudly voted in July to codify these all-important protections," he said in a statement. "And today I was proud to once again vote in favor of protecting our LGBTQ and religious friends and neighbors. As a man of faith and a conservative, ensuring the religious liberties of people in Utah is absolutely essential. This bill not only guarantees that protection, but simultaneously expands the rights of those in the LGBTQ community."
However, Rep. Stewart signaled his opposition to the Equality Act still in Congress as "hostile to religious liberty."
"Civil rights are not a finite resource; we do not have to take from one group to give to another. The intent of our forefathers in the Constitution was to strike a balance that protects fundamental religious beliefs with individual liberties. I believe this bipartisan legislation effectively does just that," he said of the Respect for Marriage Act," he said in his statement.
