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Back in late June, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. With this overturn came an opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas, who suggested the court should review other previous rulings as well.

One of the rulings specifically referenced by Thomas was none other than Obergefell v. Hodges. This particular ruling granted same-sex couples the right to marry under federal law.

Amid concerns about the Supreme Court upending Obergefell, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle crafted the Respect For Marriage Act; the legislation designed to protect the rights of gay and interracial couples to marry passed the Senate this week.

A deeper dive into the Respect For Marriage Act

In the Senate, all 50 Democrats were joined by 12 Republicans who helped the Respect For Marriage Act pass.

The legislation now returns to the House of Representatives where it will very likely pass. From there, Joe Biden will need to sign the Respect For Marriage Act in order to enshrine it into law.

Under this bipartisan bill, US governments will have to acknowledge all marriages that are legal in the states where they originate.

This means even if the Supreme Court does one day overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, marriages of same-sex couples will be federally recognized, given that they originated in a state where gay marriage is legal.

Thomas was the only justice to submit an opinion calling for a reconsideration of Obergefell. While other justices on the Supreme Court made it clear they were not in concurrence with Thomas, most Americans also never expected the toppling of Roe v. Wade.

In this case, the mindset behind the Respect For Marriage Act is "better safe than sorry."

Another issue deserving attention

In America today, only seven states have totally outlawed child marriage. This means the remaining 43 states permit child marriage in some cases, oftentimes with parental or judicial consent.

If there is one thing Americans of all political persuasions should agree upon, it is that adults should not be marrying underage children.

Just as Republicans and Democrats joined forces to protect the rights of gay and interracial couples, Congress must also pass a federal ban against child marriage.