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Politics

Biden Signs Same-Sex Marriage Bill in ‘Vital Step’ to Equality

  • Democrats worry justices will reverse same-sex couples’ rights
  • Senate amended bill to include religious liberty provisions
President Joe Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on Dec. 13.

President Joe Biden signs the Respect for Marriage Act during a ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, on Dec. 13.

Photographer: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg

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President Joe Biden signed the historic Respect for Marriage Act, cementing into law federal protection for both same-sex and interracial marriages and delivering a victory for Democrats.

“Today’s a good day. A day America takes a vital step toward equality, toward liberty and justice, not just for some but for everyone,” Biden said Tuesday during a ceremony on the White House’s South Lawn, calling the choice of whom to marry “one of the most profound decisions a person can make.”