Yesterday (July 19), the House of Representatives voted to federally protect same-sex marriages, according to CNN. The bill will still need to be passed by the Senate before it can become a law. This vote comes less than a month after major changes from the Supreme Court. On June 24, the court voted in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade. That same day, Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide began canceling scheduled abortion procedures without notice.

Many feared that with the court’s abrupt decisions regarding abortion and women’s reproductive health, other rights would soon be in jeopardy as well. New York Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler introduced the Respect for Marriage Act to protect same-sex unions. He is also chair of the House Judiciary Committee. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer backed the decision. “It is critical to ensure that federal law protects those whose constitutional rights might be threatened by Republican-controlled state legislatures. LGBTQ Americans and those in interracial marriages deserve to have certainty that they will continue to have their right to equal marriage recognized, no matter where they live,” he said.

Not only will this measure protect same-sex marriages across the United States, but it will also ensure that interracial unions are safeguarded. In a July 16 episode of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s podcast, “Verdict With Ted Cruz,” the lawmaker spoke against same-sex unions. “I think that decision was clearly wrong when it was decided,” the politician said. He also argued that it went against our country’s values and “ignored two centuries of our nation’s history.” Justice Clarence Thomas seems to agree. He recently said the court’s decision to protect such unions should be reconsidered.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement after the House voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act bill. “This week, the House will pass two more bills to protect freedom in our nation, as extremist Justices and lawmakers take aim at more of our basic rights,” it read. She continued, “Our Right to Contraception Act will preserve the essential protections found in Griswold v. Connecticut. Our Respect for Marriage Act — which, proudly, is bipartisan and bicameral — will defend the right to marry whomever you love, as found in Obergefell v. Hodges and Loving v. Virginia.”