A new bill proposed by California Democratic Rep. Julia Brownley would have the terms husband and wife scrubbed clean from the law. 

The “Amend the Code for Marriage Equality Act” suggests replacing any phrases related to the nuclear family with “a married couple,” “married person,” and “person who has been, but is no longer, married to,” based on the context.

The bill would revise in-place laws such as the Internal Revenue Code, Social Security Act, and Family and Medical Leave Act. 

Brownly stated the premise behind the bill is the conservative-leaning Supreme Court and state legislatures “limiting” the rights of the LGBTQ community. They think it is crucial for Congress to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to promoting equality.

What the California Democrat calls the “common sense bill” will render the federal code void of mentioning husband and wife and supplement it with a more woke understanding of marriage.  

“Acknowledging the significance of words in our legal system and ensuring our country’s values are properly reflected in our laws,” Brownly said in an address before the House. 

The bill itself was first introduced in the House by retired Democratic Rep. Lois Capps, but was brought back by Ms. Brownley in 2021, 2019, 2017, and finally, 2023. 

The 2021 bill had 39 cosponsors, all Democrats, no Republicans.  

The legislation propped up by Brownly has a small chance of even mustering the force needed to pass to the GOP-dominated House. 

However, this comes with recent moves by the Biden administration seeking to strike single sex-based and biological terms for new references, such as “birthing person” or even “pregnant man,” instead of using women.  

This logic is propelled by academic institutions such as Harvard, aiming to remove any trace of biological sex.