Rep. Amodei: Respect for Marriage Act Is ‘An Unwarranted, Unnecessary Federal Power Grab’

Rep. Mark Amodei was the sole lawmaker in Nevada’s congressional delegation to vote against the Respect for Marriage Act signed into law by President Joe Biden on Tuesday. As his Democratic counterparts cheered, Amodei argued that the legislation was unnecessary and released the following statement:

The law as it sits prior to H.R. 8404, was this: In the 2020 election, Nevada voters used the referendum process to place same sex marriage protections in the Nevada Constitution. The net effect is that in Nevada and 35 other states, you can marry whoever you want. I support and respect the use of that process and the will of Nevada voters on the issue of same-sex marriage.

It is also a fact that as a result of the “Full Faith and Credit Clause” in the U.S. Constitution, Article IV, Section 1, that marriages that are valid in the present 36 states, are valid everywhere in the country. Just like your Nevada driver’s license is good in Florida, so is your Nevada marriage license. Accordingly, the need for federal legislation on what has traditionally been state jurisdiction, in this instance – marriage laws – continues to be unapparent. I know that there are people who think that a statement made by Justice Clarence Thomas is a nightmare in the making, but I simply disagree that one Supreme Court Justice’s sidebar creates a clear and present danger to freedom and justice in America.

It is absolutely the case that before voting on anything, my colleagues and I should take a 360-degree view of, and assess, the need for federal involvement. Central to that assessment is the question, is this a needed federal action? The language of the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is relevant here: ‘The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.’

The states have always set forth their rules in relation to marriage. It is their absolute right to do so. They are doing fine. I will not support an unwarranted and unnecessary federal power grab, especially under the political guise of protecting a group of Americans who currently enjoy the full constitutional protections of the Nevada and United States Constitutions.

Although unnecessary, as Amodei argues, Nevada Democrats celebrated the “federal power grab” through a series of social media statements and press releases.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, who narrowly won reelection, tweeted:

It was wonderful to join my colleagues at the White House today to see @POTUS sign the Respect for Marriage Act into law to mandate federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriage. I’m so proud to celebrate this historic milestone in the fight for equality. pic.twitter.com/nWL66uS7PE

— Senator Cortez Masto (@SenCortezMasto) December 13, 2022

Rep. Horsford, who had zero respect for his own marriage during his ten-year affair with a Harry Reid intern, released this statement:

“As extreme MAGA Republicans signaled that their focus would be on taking away Nevadans’ personal liberties, the Democratic Congress is fighting to honor the dignity and equality of every American. The Respect for Marriage Act is a historic step forward in fighting back against the cruel assault on our freedoms – sending a clear signal that hate and bigotry have no place in America. This landmark bipartisan, bicameral legislation will uphold marriage equality under federal law: tearing DOMA off the books for good, enshrining married couples’ right to equal protection and barring discriminatory officials from invalidating out-of-state marriages.”

The signing ceremony of the bill took a controversial turn due to President Biden inviting Marti Cummings, a non-binary drag queen best known for their anti-police rhetoric and raunchy performances in front of children.  Conservative firebrand Dana Loesch has the receipts.

Nothing says "respect for marriage" like hosting a drag queen who performs for children and tweets things like this pic.twitter.com/0wNLMfVVOy

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) December 13, 2022