47 Republican lawmakers join Dems to protect same-sex marriage

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Forty-seven House Republicans voted to write same-sex marriage into law on Tuesday.
• They joined every House Democrat in passing the Respect for Marriage Act which would provide federal protections for same-sex and interracial couples.
• Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) voted against the bill.

The House on Tuesday passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which would protect marriage equality and provide federal protections for same-sex and interracial couples.

Forty-seven Republicans joined all House Democrats in voting in favor of the bill. The group included members of GOP leadership such as Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and National Republican Campaign Committee Chair Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.).

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) voted against the bill.

Democrats loudly cheered from their side of the chamber as the bill passed with a 267-157 vote.

“This bill makes crystal clear that every couple and their children [have] the fundamental freedom to take pride in their marriage and have their marriage respected under the law,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in floor remarks.

In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that states recognize same-sex marriages, but Democrats pushed for a codification of the policy in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June. In a concurring decision, Justice Clarence Thomas voiced support for reconsidering the court’s earlier same-sex marriage decision.

The Respect for Marriage Act, however, faces an uncertain path in the 50-50 Senate. It would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman. It would also require states to recognize same-sex marriages, as long as it was valid in the state in which the union occurred.

Most Republicans who voted in favor of the bill come from the younger ranks of the GOP. Other prominent Republicans who voted yes included Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry (R-Pa.).

“If gay couples want to be as happily or miserably married as straight couples, more power to them. Trust me, I’ve tried it more than once,” Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), another yes, tweeted immediately after the vote.

It’s still undetermined if the Senate will take up the measure, as Democratic leaders remained noncommittal on Tuesday. Some questioned whether there’s enough time on the calendar as the Senate is set to go on an extended recess in two weeks and there are still two huge party priorities to finish before then.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer would not say Tuesday if there would be a floor vote but said, “we’re going to look at everything we can do.”

Source: CBS News