Julia Brownley, a member of the House of Representatives from the Democratic Party, wants to pass a bill that would delete the words "husband" or "wife" from the wording of the federal law, replacing them with "spouse."
According to Brownley, the purpose of the law, dubbed the "Amendment of the Code for Marriage Equality", is to "update the existing laws that do not recognize the constitutional right of same-sex couples to marry." Brownley issued a statement last weekend in which she claimed that the US Congress must reaffirm its commitment to equality, and must adapt federal law to the principles of inclusion and justice.
She also added that the words embedded in the law have meaning and should reflect the nation's values. "Although the US Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry, there are many cases where the US Code does not respect this constitutional right. Now more than ever, with the Supreme Court and state legislatures restoring the rights of the LGBTQ community, it is imperative that Congress demonstrate its commitment to support equality.
"This common sense law will ensure that our federal code reflects the equality of all marriages by recognizing and acting on the notion that words in our laws have meaning, and our values as a country are reflected in our laws," continued the lawmaker.
Among the laws in which Brownley seeks to change the wording are the "Government Ethics Law" from 1978, the "Family and Medical Leave" law from 1993 and the "Federal Election Campaign" law from 1971.