Washington, DC – Today the U.S. Supreme Court begins to hear arguments in the case Obergefell v. Hodges, the result of which will determine whether marriage equality can be extended to all Americans. Currently, approximately 70 percent of Americans live in a state where it is legal for same-sex couples to marry. DNC Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz released the following statement:

“Like millions of other Americans, I have anxiously awaited the beginning of these oral arguments because I know that in my heart of hearts the Supreme Court will ultimately come down on the side of equality, love, fairness and families. I’ve watched thousands of couples in my home state of Florida express their love for one another in marriage vows since the law was overturned in January, and they’re no different than people in North Dakota or Georgia or Texas. We’ve come too far to stall or reverse the incredible progress states have made in the past few years. Yet as Democrats stand with families  and fight for fairness, Republicans like Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker and the rest of the presidential hopefuls want to take us backwards. This is an important issue and we now need the Supreme Court to end discrimination under the law once and for all because love is love and it’s the right thing to do.”