Earlier on Tuesday, President Joe Biden signed into law the Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA), which codifies same-sex marriage into federal law, though the U.S. Supreme Court is unlikely to ever consider a case to overturn their 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, let alone actually vote to do so. While the legislation deals solely with marriage, Vice President Kamala Harris and President Biden could not help themselves from reminding everyone just how fixated they are on abortion, especially after the Dobbs v. Jackson decision overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
In calling getting the legislation passed "a victory" for LGBT Americans, Harris also claimed that it was "part of a larger fight." She wasted no time in making clear what she was talking about. "The Dobbs decision reminds us that fundamental rights are interconnected, including the right to marry who you love, the right to access contraception, and the right to make decisions about your own body," she added.
Harris then told the crowd that "so, to continue to protect fundamental rights, let us continue to stand together, because that is the beauty of the coalition assembled here today, to fight for equality as activists, allies, and parents, and neighbors, and young leaders," as if to continue to equate the multiple issues.
Biden took the discussion of Dobbs and abortion even further. The event wasn't entirely celebratory, the president claimed. "Sadly, we must also acknowledge another reason we're here. Congress is acting because an extreme Supreme Court has stripped away a right important to millions of Americans that has existed for half a century." With "the Dobbs decision," the president lamented, "the Court's extreme conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade and the right to choose."
Neither Harris or Biden acknowledged that the "right to make decisions" or "the right to choose" applies to women aborting their children.
The push for the legislation being signed came after a solo concurring opinion from Justice Clarence Thomas in the Dobbs decision that opened the door to the Court revisiting other rights, such as to contraception and same-sex marriage.
Biden made sure to bring up Thomas as well, in how "Justice Thomas went even further" with that concurring opinion.
It's worth emphasizing, though, that the opinion of the Court from Justice Samuel Alito, and a concurring opinion from Justice Brett Kavanaugh, made clear that Dobbs only applies to abortion. So, while the Court does include a 6-3 conservative majority, it was one concurring opinion by one justice that has the Biden administration up in arms.
Today's legislation passed with bipartisan support, including 12 Senate Republicans and 39 House Republicans, many of whom are also pro-life and expressed support for the Dobbs decision.
The Log Cabin Republicans has also vocally supported RFMA. In several tweets and retweets from when the Dobbs decision was handed down, though, the Log Cabin Republicans made clear that tying the issues of abortion and marriage was bogus.
STATEMENT from Log Cabin on overturn of Roe v Wade:
— Log Cabin Republicans (@LogCabinGOP) June 24, 2022
"While Leftist groups will no doubt mislead about the decision...LGBT conservatives remain level-headed and focused on the actual opinion. If we see a credible threat to marriage equality, we will fight it - but this isn't it." pic.twitter.com/q2xL17auND
The fear-mongering over abortion is already beginning…from the President himself. https://t.co/RDpHpQ0pJx
— Log Cabin Republicans (@LogCabinGOP) June 24, 2022
From the Supreme Court's majority opinion:
— Log Cabin Republicans (@LogCabinGOP) June 24, 2022
"Roe's defenders characterize the abortion right as similar to the rights involving matters such as intimate sexual relations, contraception, and marriage, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭...." pic.twitter.com/6JHi9qWVw1
From @brad_polumbo:
— Log Cabin Republicans (@LogCabinGOP) June 25, 2022
“We can and should have a robust debate over abortion rights. But let’s do it without needlessly scaring people that other core rights are under attack when they simply are not.”https://t.co/sWL6PzQBpQ
The group's most recent tweet is also a retweet of Guy Benson who took issue with Biden's framing of a supposed lack of rights that LGBT Americans currently face.
yeah that’s not a thing https://t.co/hbWdFn7sSx
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) December 13, 2022
Unfortunately, that Biden would bring up Dobbs and abortion in his remarks is not surprising, and not just because of how obsessed his administration is with doing what it can to promote abortion, even if there are concerns to do with following federal law. A statement from Biden, as well as a tweet, both from December 8, the day that the House sent the bill to his desk, reference Dobbs.
In the wake of Dobbs, Congress has restored a measure of security to marriages and families by passing the Respect for Marriage Act.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2022
We're one step closer on our journey to build a more perfect union. We'll never stop fighting for equality for LGBTQI+ folks and all Americans.
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