Rubio Amendment Rejected by Democrats in Senate

Democrats in the Senate have officially struck down an amendment brought forth by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) concerning religious freedoms and the Respect for Marriage (RFMA) Act. According to Rubio, the act’s vague wording does not protect religious organizations that look to make decisions through faith.

“The bill does not protect religious liberty. Nuns running orphanages will find themselves in court if it becomes law. That’s outrageous. No faith-based organization will be immune from the insanity. Christian. Jewish. Muslim. Everyone,” said Rubio.

The bill looks to ensure private right action for “any person who is harmed” by any business or entity that doesn’t recognize institutions such as gay marriage. Rubio says that this vague wording is “ripe for abuse.”

This includes religious organizations such as schools, pro-life centers, women’s houses and shelters, and orphanages as well. If the bill becomes law, these organizations could be subjected to institutional-ending lawsuits.

“The Senate had a chance to fix this obvious problem, but it failed. Now faith-based organizations will suffer the consequences,” stated Rubio.

Rubio argues that orphanages run by nuns who would refuse to put children in a same-sex couple’s home could be sued in federal courts by anyone due to the “under color of state law.”

In the past, similar famous cases have been brought to the High Court that deal with same-sex relations. In 2012, a Colorado baker took a same-sex couple all the way to Supreme Court because he refused to make a cake for their wedding, citing religious reasons. In 2018, the Court ruled in favor of the baker.

Since the leaked Supreme Court decision that struck down Roe v. Wade, many have brought up prior decisions that could be overturned despite longstanding precedent, such as Obergefell v. Hodges which established gay marriage nationwide.

Although it appears there is no intention to overturn this decision at this time, many have called for it to be codified at the federal level.