{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-joins-bipartisan-coalition-introducing-marriage-and-religious-freedom-act", "Scalise Joins Bipartisan coalition in Introducing Marriage and Religious Freedom Act", "2013-09-19", "2013", "2013-09", "Republican", "House", "LA", "Steve Scalise", "S001176", "scalise.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Rep. Ra\u00fal Labrador (R-ID), Rep. Steve Scalise, Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC), and Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) introduced a landmark bipartisan bill today to protect freedom of conscience on the issue of marriage.\u00a0 Their bill \u2013 the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act \u2013 would prohibit discrimination through the federal tax code against individuals or institutions that exercise religious conscience regarding marriage as the union of one man and one woman.\u00a0\n\t\u201cRegardless of your ideology, we can all agree about the importance of religious liberty in America,\u201d said Rep. Labrador.\u00a0 \u201cOur bill will protect freedom of conscience for those who believe marriage is the union of one man and one woman.\u00a0 This is not a Republican or Democrat issue.\u00a0 As President Obama said, \u2018Americans hold a wide range of views\u2019 on marriage and \u2018maintaining our nation\u2019s commitment to religious freedom\u2019 is \u2018vital.\u2019 We agree.\n\t\u201cOur bill will ensure tolerance for individuals and organizations that affirm traditional marriage, protecting them from adverse federal action.\u00a0 I\u2019m proud to be joined by my colleagues in introducing this bill, and will strongly advocate for its passage.\u201d\n\tMost religious institutions fall within the 501(c) portion of the U.S. tax code, which allows for tax exemption.\u00a0 Under the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act, no individual or institution which celebrates and defines marriage as between one man and one woman would be denied or lose exemption from taxation provided for under federal law.\n\t\u201cI commend Congressman Raul Labrador for bringing forth this bill and leading on this important issue.\u00a0 As we\u2019ve seen with the IRS scandals, nonprofit organizations and those who support them may be targeted and punished for their beliefs and principles,\u201d said Chairman Scalise.\u00a0 \u201cFurthermore, the Supreme Court\u2019s ruling on marriage may embolden those in government who want to impose their views of marriage on faith-based organizations.\u00a0 We need this strong legislation to protect freedom of conscience for those who believe marriage is the union of one man and one woman. Raul\u2019s bill does exactly that, ensuring respect and tolerance for those who affirm traditional marriage.\u201d\n\t\u201cIt is critical that institutions which hold the fundamental belief that marriage is between one man and one woman be protected in their convictions,\u201d said Rep. McIntyre.\u00a0 \u201cThe Marriage and Religious Freedom Act will ensure that this right is protected, and they are not penalized for their beliefs and values.\u201d\n\t\"The Marriage and Religious Freedom Act would help preserve the most basic rights of all Americans: the right to religious liberty and the rights of conscience,\" Rep. Lipinski said. \"The idea that individuals, churches and institutions could be penalized for not endorsing a practice in opposition to their core beliefs goes against the fundamental principles espoused by our founding fathers.\u00a0 I ask my colleagues in the House to act on this legislation swiftly to discourage the potential discrimination against those who simply choose to exercise their rights as Americans.\"\n\tThe Marriage and Religious Freedom Act has over 60 original cosponsors.\u00a0 They include Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) and Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO).\u00a0 A full list of cosponsors is attached.\n\tThe bill has been endorsed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the National Organization for Marriage, Heritage Action, Family Research Council, Focus on the Family, The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and Concerned Women for America.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://scalise.house.gov/press-release/scalise-joins-bipartisan-coalition-introducing-marriage-and-religious-freedom-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9084348566830158, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}