This week, House Democrats acted to defend Americans’ Constitutional rights, once-again passing the Respect for Marriage Act and sending this crucial, and overdue legislation to President Biden’s desk. The Respect for Marriage Act codifies equal marriage rights, giving millions of interracial and same-sex couples greater certainty and advancing our values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As Majority Leader, I was proud to bring this bill to the Floor and thank Rep. Nadler and the Judiciary Committee for their commitment to seeing this legislation passed. After Republican-appointed justices on the Supreme Court left the door open for future challenges to marriage equality in their precedent-ignoring Dobbs v. Jackson decision, House Democrats showed clearly that we will not waiver in our commitment to protecting and upholding Americans’ Constitutional rights.

House Democrats also took action to strengthen our national security through the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. This reauthorization of critical defense program provides our military with the tools it needs to carry out missions safely and effectively. I’m grateful to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith and the Members who worked tirelessly to build bipartisan consensus on this legislation, which will keep Americans safe and maintain our commitment to defending democracy and supporting our allies abroad.

I look forward to another productive week delivering For The People, including ensuring the government remains open and operational for the people.

Sincerely yours,

Steny H. Hoyer

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DEMOCRATIC NEWS UPDATE

On the December Work Period