Back in June, the Respect for Marriage Act was passed by the House. The goal of this act was to federally protect interracial and same-sex couples abrogating the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). What people found surprising was that some of the Republicans also voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act, with 47 people not joining their fellow republicans in their support for DOMA.
However, it is clear that the republicans are split when it comes to same-sex marriage. Although the republicans are expected to oppose other bills such as the Right to Contraception Act, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise declared that the votes will be split among GOP lawmakers.
What Happened?
While some lawmakers are fighting for people’s equal rights, others are fighting to take them away.
Not long ago, the Respect for Marriage Act passed the House. This act was meant to protect same-sex marriage, as well as the rights of interracial couples. It would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act while giving same-sex couples legal protection. Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are facing a dilemma – they don’t know whether they should let this bill pass or block it.
Now, the midterm elections that are supposed to unfold this fall might be affected by this whole ordeal – especially as Republicans are painted as a primitive group that wants to take away people’s rights by the Democrats.
The issue is that the majority of Americans support same-sex marriages, and there are also many Republicans that support it. However, numerous GOP activists are evangelicals, and they will certainly be against it and do everything they can to stop it.
71% of Americans are in favor of marriage between same-sex individuals according to a Gallup poll.
“The issue puts Republicans in an awkward spot,” said Claremont McKenna College political science professor Jack Pitney. “Most Americans support same-sex marriage. Even a majority of self-identified Republicans support it. But evangelicals represent a huge share of GOP activists, and they still oppose it. More broadly, Republican activists dislike the idea of giving the Democrats a win — even on an issue where there is consensus in the general public.”
Some of the GOP activists that supported the bill include Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, and the No.3 Republican in the House, respectively Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York. Meanwhile, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana and House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of California did not favor the bill.
Will Same-Sex Marriage Stay Legal?
Fortunately, same-sex marriage stays legal, and same-sex couples can rest assured that their rights are protected.
However, back in June, the conservative court overturned Roe v. Wade. Thus, they took away the right to abortion, and many people are still worried that they will keep trying to end the right to same-sex marriage among other things. A known conservative figure, respectively Justice Clarence Thomas, called on the court to reconsider same-sex marriage, as well as the rights to contraception.
It’s a good thing to see 47 GOP House votes for the Respect for Marriage Act, but it is equally disappointing that 157 republicans didn’t vote in favor of the act. This is further proof that there is still resistance from the republican side and that they are not supporting cultural change. Thus, they might attempt to strip away the rights of gay marriage.
Susan Collins of Maine and Rob Portman of Ohio are the two Republicans co-sponsoring the bill in the Senate. The latter is retiring, but he has been a same-sex marriage supporter for a while. He became an ally in 2013 as a result of his son confessing that he was gay.
Many other Republicans have criticized the same-sex marriage legalization decision of the Supreme Court. A Republican from Florida, respectively Sen. Marco Rubio, will vote against the new bill. According to him, this problem should be handled by the states, and he considers the bill unnecessary and not a priority. Rubio will face re-election this fall.
Final Thoughts
While there has been a lot of support for the same-sex marriage protection bill, many republicans still oppose it. A group of republicans supported the bill, but there is resistance from the others. Same-sex marriage remains legal, although people still worry that things might change in the future.
If you’re in a same-sex marriage or you’re about to enter one, you need to have your rights protected. Nevada was the first state to recognize same-sex marriage in its state constitution. So, if you ever go through a divorce or you struggle to adopt a child, you can hire a Las Vegas family law attorney to help you out.
