[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 149 (Thursday, September 15, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4627-S4628]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                        Respect for Marriage Act

  Madam President, now I have a few short remarks to say on marriage 
equality.
  Negotiators have been meeting practically every single day. Senate 
negotiators, Democrat and Republican, have been meeting practically 
every single day this week to find a path forward. There will be a 
meeting later today between both sides, and I look forward to seeing 
what progress Republicans make to reach the magic number of 10. The 
onus is right now on our Republican colleagues to demonstrate they are 
serious about passing marriage equality into law. Every single Democrat 
is for it, but, of course, we need 60 votes.
  Let me be clear. My No. 1 priority is to pass legislation. It is an 
issue that will have profound consequences for millions of Americans in 
same-sex marriages and who identify as LGBTQ. To downplay this issue, 
to let it pass by or to act as if we can put it off for another time is 
not the right thing to

[[Page S4628]]

do. We should do it now. That is why we are so eager to get 10 
Republicans to support the bill.
  And across the street from here, we have all heard Justice Clarence 
Thomas and his fellow MAGA Republican Justices are surely waiting for 
the chance to one day follow through on his threat--Justice Thomas's 
threat to drag same-sex marriage rights back under the spotlight of the 
Supreme Court. That thought should send a shiver down all of our 
spines.
  So I want to thank my colleagues, from Senators Baldwin to Sinema to 
Collins and others, for continuing their talks. I am glad to give them 
the space to lead these negotiations because this needs to be done and 
done right. But for the sake of tens of millions of Americans, we need 
to get this done, and I hope we have 10 Republicans who are willing to 
raise their hands and push this process forward.