House passes bill to protect same-sex marriage, sending it to Biden’s desk

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – The House of Representatives passed the landmark Respect for Marriage Act Thursday with bipartisan support.

The final vote was 258-169 with one member voting present.

39 Republicans crossed the aisle to vote in favor of the bill.

H.R. 8404, as it’s officially known, will codify federal protection for marriages of same-sex and interracial couples across the country.

The same measure passed the Senate with a 61-36 vote last week and will now head to President Biden’s desk for his signature.

The House previously passed its version of the bill in July on a 267-157 vote with 47 Republicans joining Democrats, but because the Senate made changes to the legislation last week, the House had to vote on it again Thursday for final passage.

Nancy Pelosi became slightly emotional while reading the final vote total.

The president has said he will sign the bill into law.

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