Today, U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) delivered the following speech on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives before voting to pass the Respect for Marriage Act. The bill enshrines the right of same-sex and interracial couples to marry under federal law in states that might decline to recognize certain marriages should existing protections be rolled back. The Respect for Marriage Act now heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

“I rise today to speak on behalf of marriage equality.

“Although the bills we write and pass regularly affect millions of lives, rarely is the legislation we vote on so personal as the bill we pass today: the Respect for Marriage Act.

“My daughter and her wife are two of the estimated 26 million Americans whose freedom to marry will be protected by this bill.

“Their son – my one-year-old grandson – can now grow up without risk of his family being torn apart.

“Love is a precious thing, and now my daughters know that our nation respects their marriage.

“You cannot legislate love. But you can give love the protection of our laws.

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker, I yield back.”