RED HOOK, N.Y. – If two people with disabilities want to get married, the amount of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) they recieve from the federal government is cut, meaning they would be eligible for less federal funding as a couple than they would as indivduals. For some, that means sacrificing a legal marriage due to financial constraints.

While the Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act was initially introduced in 2022 by Republican Jimmy Panetta, the bill was reintroduced in July 2023 during the 118th Congress. It remains in committee. 

As a result, 29-year-old advocate Samantha Van Alstyne published a book series titled "Sam Wants to Get Married," in hopes of raising awarness for the disabled community.

“Anyone who is able-bodied can walk on the street and marry someone today and suffer no consequences," Van Alstyne said. “I have to choose between being able to survive and being with the person I love.”

Van Alstyne and her fiancee, Jordan Gigliati, are pushing for a change and advocating for marriage rights. Together, they are planning a non-committment ceremony, yet hopeful one day they can have a legal marriage to celebrate their love for one another.

“If the future continues in the way that it looks and Sam and I won’t be able to get a legal marriage, that would be quite sad, not just for us but for disabled people as a whole," Gigliati said.

Syracuse University professor of social work Eric Kingson said he believes the marriage penalty exists in an effort to save the goverment billions of dollars.

“My guess is that it was to keep the costs down, but also fear that people might abuse the system in some way by having two people receiving benefits in the same household,” Kingson said. “I would hope in the next round of Social Security reform or changes that would go in or even before any financing legislation, that these kinds of changes could be achieved. But I also know with the politics over the next few years it is pretty unlikely.”

In addition to her book series, Van Alstyne has also turned to TikTok to voice her concerns about marriage rights in the U.S.

“Jordan and I dream of a world where we can marry and still get the help that we need. Wouldn’t that be great?” she said.

We reached out to New York Rep. Pat Ryan for a comment.

In a statement, he wrote, "I want to thank Samantha Van Alstyne for her advocacy – this is a grave injustice that punishes Americans with disabilities. I will be reintroducing this bill as quickly as possible in the new Congress, and I will keep fighting relentlessly to right this wrong and get this bill signed into law."