The House of Representatives voted Tuesday to pass the Respect of Marriage Act, which seeks to codify same-sex marriage rights into law. The final tally of 267 – 157 included 47 Republican representatives joining the majority-led Democratic effort.
The bill is a direct response to the Supreme Court’s dismantling of Roe vs. Wade — a reversal of nearly 50 year’s of abortion rights. The conservative court determined that the original ruling was an overreach of federal power, kicking abortion back to individual states. It’s expected that abortion will soon be all but outlawed in half the states.
Many observers worried the Court could use the same process to target other rights, and those fears were confirmed when Justice Clarence Thomas signaled in his concurring opinion that the Court should revisit cases which established federal protections for contraception, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage.
Related: Clarence Thomas wastes literally no time using Roe decision to attack gay rights
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The Respect of Marriage act is now headed to the Senate, where it will require ten Republican votes to reach the 60-vote threshold. GOP Sen. Susan Collins was one of the sponsors of the bill, so assuming every Democratic senator votes yes, nine more Republicans will need to join them.
If the bill passes and is signed by President Biden, it would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, making sure no state can deny marriage to couples on the bases of sex, race, gender, or national origin.
Among the 47 Republican yes votes in the House included some lawmakers in swing districts like Reps. Nicole Malliotakis of New York, Don Bacon of Nebraska, and Mike Garcia of California.
Others included conservatives who’ve been alienated in their party in the Trump era, including Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, and John Katko of New York.
GOP leadership said they did not advise members on how to vote, telling lawmakers to vote their conscience; 147 Republican consciences said “no.”
Related: Ted Cruz says Supreme Court “clearly wrong” on same-sex marriage ruling
Democratic Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, a co-sponsor of the bill and the fourth openly gay member of Congress, said at a press conference: “People build their lives and families build their lives together knowing that the government will respect and recognize their marriages. However, same sex couples all across this country are worried about the future of their marriages because of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs.”
Several House Republicans condemned the bill before the vote. Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson said it is “superfluous,” while Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio dubbed it an attempt by Dems to “delegitimize” and “intimidate” the Supreme Court.
GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene of Georgia signaled she would vote “no” (shocker), and called it a “pathetic ploy.”
“I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman and that’s how God created it,” Greene told Insider.
On Thursday, the House is scheduled to vote on the Protect the Right to Contraception bill in an attempt to cut off the Supreme Court from revisiting contraceptive rights, as Justice Thomas said it should.
Prax07
47 Republicans voted for it? I’m utterly shocked! Shocked!
Kangol2
And 147, the overwhelming majority, voted against it. No one should forget where their true sympathies lie: against same sex marriage and LGBTQ (and interracial marriage too)!
cheks
I’m shocked the legislative branch is actually legislating! A sort-of bipartisan bill! It is a shock!!
If it passes the Senate it will be a miracle. Congress actually doing its job!
Gandalf The Grey
I’m not. Somebody has to protect all those poor self-hating closeted republiCon gays in the House & Senate! Poor Lady G.
dbmcvey
@cheks
The Senate will make sure it doesn’t happen.
Doug
I’m hoping this will pass the Senate, but the fact that the House voted this in shows us just how far we’ve come in the last ten years. The responses by Jordan, Greene and Johnson quoted here just continue to show how petty and mean-spirited they are, which isn’t that surprising, I guess.
inbama
To make sure it doesn’t die in the Senate, write your senator.
Gandalf The Grey
Amen!
Bengali
YOUR SENATOR.
How’d I do?
I’m kidding. I already sent an email to our senator’s email. Thank you for encouraging us to do that.
cb225
Absolutely write your senator. Make your voice be heard!
Kangol2
Remember, all states have TWO Senators, so write BOTH of them!
baggins435
I would, but I live in Louisiana. I remember when I lived in Utah, there was an event at the capitol for the legislature to meet with LGBTQ constituents. One of them refused saying “there are no gays in my county.”
missvamp
writing my senator will make sure it dies. he’s ted cruz.
dbmcvey
Unfortunately, there are 2 Democrat Senators (one of whom is bisexual) who won’t allow the filibuster to be suspended so it can pass.
Covid Hermit
Given that, in all likelihood, “Democratic” Senators Sinema (AZ) and Manchin (WV) won’t vote for it (have they voted for ANYTHING in the Democratic agenda?!), that would mean 12 Republican Senators would have to vote for it. So yeah, don’t get excited, this more than likely is DOA in the upper chamber.
still_onthemark
Sinema is the first open bisexual in the Senate and has always supported marriage equality. As a state senator she helped defeat a ban on it. (That was the first time any state rejected an s-s marriage ban.) Her recent antics are focused on “fiscal” worries as she and Manchin define them.
dbmcvey
They will vote for it, but they won’t vote for suspending the filibuster that would allow it to pass.
Jimmay1979
“GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene of Ohio signaled she would vote “no” (shocker), and called it a ‘pathetic ploy.'”-Being from Ohio, I would like to see MTG is NOT from Ohio. Wish I could say the same about ‘Gym’ Jordan.
TimberWolf
Obviously, in some states the people voted in the wrong representatives that set the state back, America is not a socialist country but our Supreme Court are in favor of changing Land of the Free to Do as we tell you by our law. Marjorie Taylor- Greene , how she rose to that position to make a statement based on her religious beliefs, she obviously can’ not remember separation of church and state but in the whole being 2022 she must lived a very very sheltered life to be so blind. To call the Supreme court conservative is mild considering their strict socialist beliefs.
Kangol2
GQP Senator Josh Hawley, like that creepy coward Ted Rafael Phony Cruz, is now signaling his opposition to same sex marriage, saying today that he didn’t support the landmark 2015 Obergefell legislation. Mario Rubio agreed with him! This is today’s GQP; those 47 Congresspeople who voted with the Democratic majority are, sadly, a minority, and at least 5 of them are retiring, 2 were defeated in primaries by more extreme RepubliQans, and Lee Zeldin is leaving Congress to run for NY State governor (against a longtime LGBTQ supporter, incumbent Democratic governor Kathy Hochul).
These right-wing fanatics are making it very clear they don’t respect equality under the law, LGBTQ people, or our lives and futures. PLEASE vote them out, urge those you know to vote them out, and also stay on the @sses of any Democrats or Independents who are willing to throw away or sacrifice our rights on behalf of teh narrow beliefs of Christian nationalists and theocrats!
RSD
I’m so sick of republicans. This cabal is un-American, Bigoted, homophobic, lying, hypocritical, Fake-xtian, trash!!!
fur_hunter
Clarence Thomas is a LYNIG, S cu mbag, A.S.S. hole, F UC KING Piece of S HIT! He can EAT S HIT and D. IE!!!!! If that happened, I would be doing the Snoopy Happy Dance for at least a week.
ArtTeacher
Ohio has enough vomit and bile to represent us; Marjorie Taylor Greene is from Georgia.
Huron132
I concur, Ohio is already becoming a Nazi state. I’m from Ohio, so give the innocent a break and make sure you note MTG is from GA. We already have enough on our plate right now!
CNY1983
ohio has more than its share of assholes both representing them and the ohio republicans themselves. these idiots dont get it that the joke is on THEM! they keep listening to fox and getting high on hate and then vote for the people who are trying to end their free ride on the government.
thats right, wake up! they will parrot shit that is clearly not going to do them any good – because they need that hate-fix. Its almost like that whole gang of TRAITORS left the capitol and went HOME TO OHIO.
dbmcvey
And now the Senate will screw it all up.
dbmcvey
Originalism is one of the dumbest legal ideas of all time.
tjack47
Ted Cruise and John Cornhole.
Evil_Geoff
Not to put too fine a point on it, Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene is from GEORGIA, not Ohio. Ohio has enough trouble with Jim Jordan, without adding her to the mix.
humble charlie
clarence (pubic beer can) thomas is intent on revenge for people telling the truth about him.
Donald Dork
Interesting but useless factoid: In England the lower house of parliament can pass a bill without the upper house if the upper house is hopelessly deadlocked on something
winemaker
Got a question for the gay community: just what has nasty nancy pelosi and all her liberals done for the gay community other than pander to them and let the one time jewel of the golden gate, San Francisco, her congressional district become unaffordable for so many of us, overrun with vagrants, crime going through the roof that’s making this place more unlivable, untenable and the west coast’s version of the third world? Really in her over 40 years in Congress what has she done for anyone other than herself? You can see and smell just how much she cares about San Francisco and it’s residents.
Den
Good lord! Why do right wingers like you do nothing but lie, lie, lie?
When has the reppublican party done anything for the LGBT community, nimrod? They hate us, and they even hate lying scum like you.
I have lived in SF since 1973 (with a brief stint in Montclair in the Oakland Hills from the mid 90’s to the late 00’s). When was the last time you actually set foot in this city, child? Sounds like you are simply parroting the FOX, OAN, NewsMax lies regarding California and the bay area. Sounds like you are a patrician Calistoga queen. Or perhaps lounging about in some Belvedere manse, SF has its problems, but to lay them on Pelos or the national Democratic party is, put simply, stupid.
witwoud
full disclosure: i’m sixty years old, and have voted either democrat, or democratic/socialist my entire life. i’m as liberal as they come. with that being said, i am neither a fan of nancy pelosi, nor her political strategies. she endorsed texas representative incumbent, and ANTI-CHOICE henry cuellar on may 12, 2022, over PRO-CHOICE, pro-immigration reform, and responsible gun legislation dem candidate jessica cisneros. six weeks later roe was overturned, and texas was all but guaranteed another anti-choice legislator. not surprisingly, i received an email from pelosi, begging for money to…fight for reproductive health. you can’t make this shit up. marriage equality — like roe — will continue to be a wedge issue for both parties. they hang it over our head, and demand money if we want to preserve it. and that, theydies and gentlethems, is called distortion.
johncp56
As an older gay man, so sad seeing everything go backward