WASHINGTON, DC – Following last month’s Supreme Court ruling that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry under the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, member of the Senate Finance Committee, today joined democratic colleagues in unveiling legislation to provide equal dignity for all legal marriages in the tax code. The bill, the Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act, removes gender-specific references to marriage, recognizing LGBTQ Americans in the tax code.

“While the recent Supreme Court ruling guarantees marriage equality for all Americans, our tax code still contains antiquated language that could be disparaging to same-sex families,” said Sen. Menendez. “Whether you’re filling out your marriage certificate or your tax forms, you should feel fully accepted and respected regardless of your sexual orientation.”

Full text of the Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act can be downloaded here.

Co-sponsors of the bill include:
Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Tom Carper (D-DE)
Bob Casey (D-PA)
Chris Coons (D-DE)
Dick Durbin (D-IL)
Al Franken (D-MN)
Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY)
Martin Heinrich (D-NM)
Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Ed Markey (D-MA)
Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Christopher Murphy (D-CT)
Patty Murray (D-WA)
Bill Nelson (D-FL)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Brian Schatz (D-HI)
Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Jon Tester (D-MT)
Mark Warner (D-VA)
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

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