The bill doesn’t stand much of a chance — even if it got through the House and Senate, it would almost certainly be vetoed by President Barack Obama. Still, it indicates the degree to which social conservatives are willing to go to maintain bans on same-sex marriage even if the nation’s highest court rules they are unconstitutional.

King and other conservatives are outraged that federal courts have ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in states with laws against them, arguing that judges are usurping the will of the people. Courts have ruled that those states are violating the Constitution in denying same-sex couples the right to marry. King’s home state of Iowa was the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage after an Iowa Supreme Court decision in 2009.

King said his bill would be constitutional because Congress has the ability to tell courts what they can consider, even if it can’t dictate how they rule.