Colin Allred: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with…”

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. With these words, our Founders summed up the entire theory of what has become our constitutional Republic. But since the Supreme Court's ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, we have seen inalienable rights, like the right to choose how and who to form a family with, openly questioned by Justices on the Supreme Court and rightwing politicians. Mr. Speaker, love is love. It took us far too long to recognize the right for same-sex couples to marry. Within 7 years since it was, millions of Americans have come to expect that they, too, will be able to fall in love and marry the person of their choosing. What right could be more foundational? Their marriages, their family, their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is worth protecting, and that is why I will proudly vote for the Respect for Marriage Act. {time} 1315”