Washington, D.C. – Representative Paul Gosar, DDS (AZ-04) issued the following statement in response to voting against H.R. 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act, legislation that dismantles religious liberty and attacks people of faith.

“As a Christian, I believe marriage to be a God-ordained covenant relationship between one man and one woman, as does the Constitution for the state of Arizona. Today’s vote to redefine marriage is nothing more than the latest attack on all God-loving individuals who embrace the biblical teaching on marriage.  Additionally, the bill’s requirement that a state recognize gay marriage from another state infringes on Arizona’s marriage laws.

Leading up to this vote, I cosponsored an amendment that would prohibit the federal government from retaliating against any person or group for adhering to sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions about marriage.  The amendment was denied by democrats, clearly demonstrating the intent of this legislation is to attack religious organizations and persons of faith by distorting the traditional definition of marriage,” concluded Congressman Gosar.