WASHINGTON — Heritage Action for America, a conservative grassroots organization with two million grassroots activists, today released the following statement from Executive Director Jessica Anderson on the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” in the Senate:
The so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” is an unnecessary piece of legislation that provides for lawsuits against those who simply hold a different view on marriage. It seeks to put the federal government in charge of marriage, wipes out the rights of individuals to act in accordance with their personal beliefs, and discriminates against religious people treating them as bigots under the law. To make matters worse, the Senate is only now considering the bill in a lame-duck period after the American people voted.
Supporters of the legislation have said the expected consideration of a Tillis-Collins-Baldwin amendment would address the religious liberty problems in the original bill — but it would not. It is a messaging exercise that has no teeth, and religious Americans would still be subject to discrimination and targeting under the bill.
Any senator who’s serious about religious liberty would be insisting on the inclusion of the Senator Mike Lee’s amendment based on the First Amendment Defense Act, which would actually protect religious liberty.
Rather than respecting individuals, this legislation would open them up to persecution, fines, and punishment.