Cruz Introduces Amendment to Senate Gay Marriage Bill Regarding Child Marriage, Polygamy and Risks of Incest

Texas Senator Ted Cruza Republican, filed an amendment to the Senate gay marriage bill regarding what he says are the risks of allowing child marriage, polygamous marriage and incest that could come from the legislation.

On Tuesday, Cruz presented his amendment to the Law respecting marriage before its approval in the Senate that same day.

The Texas Republican told Fox News Digital that the bill opens a path for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to go after religious nonprofits and could also force other states to enforce a potentially extreme law in another been

SENATE ACTS ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE BILL AFTER THANKSGIVING BREAK

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced his amendment to the Respect for Marriage Act on Tuesday.
(Fox News)

“The so-called Respect for Marriage Act not only opens the door for an armed IRS to target religious nonprofits, it will also start a race to the bottom, forcing the most extreme marriage laws of any state to any other state,” Cruz said.

“It will only take California, New York or Massachusetts to legalize polygamy, incest or child marriage to force all states to recognize these relationships as well,” the senator continued.

“If this is an unintended consequence, Democrats should have no problem supporting my amendment,” he added.

Cruz’s amendment would have prevented one state’s potential laws on polygamous marriages, marriages in which “the parties are too closely related” or “marriages in which one party is below a certain age limit” from being binding on other states who may have different opinions on the matter.

The historic 2015 Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

The Respect for Marriage Act would codify same-sex marriage into law, formally introducing legislation to support the Supreme Court’s 2015 landmark. Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage.

While the bill has bipartisan support, it has faced some pushback among Republicans, both on religious freedom grounds and its requirement that the federal government recognize all marriages legal in the state where they were celebrated.

This means that a state with different laws regarding same-sex marriage would have to recognize a marriage from another state that may not align with the first state’s laws.

But Cruz says he’s worried about the bill’s implications if a state were to legalize polyamory or incest.

The Texas Republican told Fox News Digital that the bill opens a path for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to go after religious nonprofits and could also force other states to enforce a potentially extreme law in another been
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis. and others, introduced an amendment protecting religious freedom that will need 60 votes to pass on a procedural vote and have the chance for a final Senate vote before it can. be included in the invoice.

Collins and Baldwin’s amendment aims to ensure the bill does not undermine religious freedom and states that non-profit religious organizations “shall not provide services” to a marriage they oppose.

The amendment also says nothing in the bill can threaten the tax-exempt status of religious groups.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

On November 16, the bill cleared its first procedural hurdle in the Senate with a 62-37 vote to end debate and move it to a final vote.

The Respect for Marriage Act passed the Senate on Tuesday by a vote of 61 to 36 and heads to the House. Cruz’s amendment was not included in the Senate-passed bill.