Here & Now

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan on the Respect for Marriage Act

Frederica Freyberg:

In congressional news, the U.S. House this week passed the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation that would require the federal government to recognize the validity of same-sex and interracial marriages. U.S. Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin’s Second District was a sponsor.

Mark Pocan:

This is a simple bill. Whether or not you support current law on marriage in this country, which includes for the LGBT and interracial couples across the nation. My friend from Ohio said this bill is unnecessary. This bill is very necessary, because the extremist-packed Supreme Court recently took away a half a century of law on Roe and in that decision, Justice Clarence Thomas said they should revisit it on marriage equality. We have people in this House and in the Senate like Senator Ted Cruz who’ve said the exact same thing. Here’s what I want. I want to make sure my husband Phil can visit me in the hospital should I have to go back again like when I had a triple bypass a few years ago. I want to make sure my husband has my earned benefits for retirement and social security. I want to make sure my husband is taken care of just like your spouses are taken care. If I was the entity on the other side of the aisle, I’d be more concerned with my own members accused of having cocaine-fueled orgies than worrying about the morality of my marriage. I yield back.

Frederica Freyberg:

First District Representative Bryan Steil was the lone Wisconsin Republican who voted in favor of the bill. It now goes to the Senate where Tammy Baldwin is a sponsor.