WASHINGTON—The Heritage Foundation today announced a new $1.3 million ad campaign ahead of an expected Senate vote next week on the deceptively named “Respect for Marriage Act.”

The bill puts a target on the backs of people of faith who believe that marriage is between one man and one woman, opening individuals and organizations to legal action if they hold true to their religious beliefs about marriage.

The Heritage Foundation ads, totaling $1 million, will run throughout the next five days on Fox News, as well as during Thanksgiving weekend NFL and college football games in Iowa, Indiana, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Additionally, Heritage Action for America, the grassroots partner organization of The Heritage Foundation, will run $300,000 in digital ads featuring a specific call to action.

“America’s religious liberty is under attack with this impending vote in the Senate,” said Heritage President Kevin Roberts on announcement of the ad campaign. “This legislation does not add one additional benefit to same-sex couples in the United States; it’s an attack that sets the stage to take rights away from people of faith. What it does accomplish is deputizing radical activists to target Americans who cannot in good faith endorse anything other than a man-woman marriage. The American people deserve all the facts.”

Heritage Action Executive Director Jessica Anderson added the following:

“Conservatives must fight back against the left's relentless attacks on religious liberty and the institution of marriage. This falsely named Respect for Marriage Act would redefine marriage, discriminate against religious individuals and organizations, and use a newly weaponized IRS to attack those who disagree with the left's social agenda.

“Aside from the bill lacking in content, it also fails when it comes to procedure. This significant piece of legislation is being considered in a lame-duck session of Congress, meaning there will be zero accountability for the outgoing senators who support this bill. Congress should wait until the next session to consider significant pieces of legislation. In the short-term, the only proposal that would rectify conservatives’ concerns over religious liberty in this bill is Utah Sen. Mike Lee's amendment.”

Sen. Mike Lee has proposed an amendment to protect the religious liberty of the tens of millions of Americans who believe in the concept of marriage as between a man and woman, but Democrat leadership has so far refused to allow a vote on the amendment.

Twelve Republican senators voted with all 50 Senate Democrats to advance the legislation last week, including Sens. Roy Blunt, Richard Burr, Shelley Moore Capito, Susan Collins, Joni Ernst, Cynthia Lummis, Lisa Murkowski, Rob Portman, Mitt Romney, Thom Tillis, Dan Sullivan, and Todd Young.

“Republican senators claiming the bill protects religious liberty are misleading the public,” said Roger Severino, Heritage’s vice president of domestic policy. “Their refusal to require Sen. Lee’s amendment is proof of their insincerity."

The new Heritage TV ad highlights how this unnecessary and divisive legislation will weaponize the power of the federal government against Americans who believe marriage is between a man and a woman:

“Before Republicans can take over the U.S. House, liberals are hurrying to cram through their far-left agenda and a few Republican senators are helping them. They’re sneaking in a new law that would expose religious schools and nonprofits to lawsuits and attacks from the IRS, just because they believe in traditional marriage.

“It could close their doors, and it’s wrong. Washington thinks you’re not paying attention. They think you won’t stop this attack on people of faith.”

View the new ad here.