Repost from American Greatness.
On Tuesday evening, the United States Senate passed the “Respect for Marriage Act” (RFMA) after rejecting several amendments proposed by Republican senators to ensure protections for religious liberty in the bill.
Breitbart reports that all three of the amendments introduced by Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) were defeated by large margins; the Lankford and Rubio amendments were rejected by votes of 52-45, while Lee’s amendment, which needed 60 votes to pass, failed 48-49. The bill itself was then passed by a margin of 61-36, once again with 12 Republican senators joining the Democrats in favor, just as they had during a prior procedural vote to move the bill forward by ending debate on it.
Lee’s amendment would have forbidden the federal government from targeting individuals, nonprofit organizations, and other entities based on their religious views on marriage through such methods as revoking of tax-exempt status, contracts, licenses, and other government benefits.
“Who wouldn’t want to deny the federal government the authority to retaliate against religious individuals and institutions in a way that is categorically abusive,” Lee asked shortly before the vote.