Friday, August 5, 2022
Legislative Sleight of Words: the "Respect for Marriage Act"
When crafting legislation, the first crucial step is to title the bill in a way that is agreeable to most. This legislative scheming was on display recently when Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin renamed the failed Build Back Better Act to the more pleasant-sounding, but untrue: Inflation Reduction Act.
Such political conjuring was at work again when all Democrats in the House joined by 47 Republicans passed: The Respect for Marriage Act. Who wants to vigorously argue against such a longstanding institution like marriage in a bill that is so ambiguously titled?
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