The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Respect for Marriage Act in a vote of 267 to 157 on Tuesday to codify same-sex marriage across the nation amid fears that the Supreme Court could nullify marriage equality. The bill also codifies the right to interracial marriage and would fully repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, the 1996 law signed by then-President Bill Clinton that defined marriage as being the union of a man and a woman.
Justice Clarence Thomas argued the court should reconsider other landmark cases establishing the rights to obtain contraception, engage in private sex acts and marry someone of the same sex.
Every Democrat and 47 Republicans voted yes.
The measure now heads to the Senate where its fate is uncertain. 10 Republican Senate votes are needed to overcome the filibuster.
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