DULUTH 鈥� U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., voted against a bill enshrining federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriage Thursday, Dec. 8.
A spokesperson for Stauber, who represents Minnesota's 8th Congressional District, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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When Stauber, of Hermantown, first voted against the Respect for Marriage Act in July, he said Democrats were using the bill as a distraction from "real problems" like high gas prices and inflation.
"The ability for people to marry whomever they choose already exists. Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and House Democrats continue to divide our nation by relitigating old culture wars," Stauber said in a statement at the time.
The bill requires states recognize same-sex and interracial marriages performed in other states, but it would not require states to allow the marriages to be performed.
The bill was written after the U.S. Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, which stoked fears that the court's conservative majority could strike down other landmark decisions ensuring federal recognition and protections for same-sex marriage, same-sex relationships and access to contraception:
The Respect For Marriage Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday in a bipartisan 258-169 vote. It now heads to President Joe Biden's desk to be signed into law. The bill was approved by the Senate last month in a 61-36 vote.
All of the Democrats in Minnesota's congressional delegation voted for the bill.
U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., was the only Republican from Minnesota to vote for the bill. He voted for it in July as well. Emmer, of Delano, was recently elected to be the Republican's majority whip in the next Congress.
The Trust Project
