RIGHT WING EXTREMISM
37 Senators Just Voted Against a Bill Protecting Same-Sex and Interracial Marriages. All Were Republicans.

The U.S. Senate Wednesday afternoon voted to end a filibuster on a critical bill to protect same-sex and interracial marriages by a margin of 62-37. All 50 Democratic Senators were joined by 12 Republicans in voting yes, and 37 Republicans voted no.
60 votes were needed to avoid a GOP filibuster.
62-37: The U.S. Senate advances the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify federal recognition of same-sex and interracial marriages.
12 Republicans voted with all Democrats. pic.twitter.com/ac51BF1MXE
— The Recount (@therecount) November 16, 2022
The Respect for Marriage Act itself is both narrow and incredible in that it changes nothing in the U.S. unless the Supreme Court overturns landmark rulings in cases like Obergefell, which found same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, or Lawrence v. Texas, which found a constitutional right to sexual intimacy.
Should that happen, states and the federal government, if the bill becomes law, would merely be required to recognize legal marriages of same-sex couples. That’s it. All the religious protections that people of faith currently enjoy would be unchanged, contrary to numerous false claims of far right extremists and religious extremists.
And yet, 37 Republicans decided that in spite of same-sex marriage enjoying a favorability rating of 70% (per Gallup) and 61% of Americans saying legalization of same-sex marriage is good for society (Pew), the newly-re-elected Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell, and 36 of his fellow GOP Senators voted to block the bill.
The bill is expected to receive a final vote this week, possibly as early as Thursday. Should it pass as expected, the bill will head back to the House for a final vote since it has been altered from their version. It is expected to pass there again. Afterwards, it will head to President Joe Biden’s desk, where he will sign it into law.
The 37 Senate Republicans who voted against the bill, according to the Senate’s roll call vote list include: Mitch McConnell (R-KY), John Barrasso (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Boozman (R-AR), Mike Braun (R-IN), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Steve Daines (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), John Hoeven (R-ND), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Ron Johnson (R-WI), John Kennedy (R-LA), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Rand Paul (R-KY), James Risch (R-ID), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Richard Shelby (R-AL), John Thune (R-SD), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
Of note, U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) did not vote, but in July he unleashed an exceptionally angry attack on Speaker Nancy Pelosi after the bill passed the House.
“Is there a single case about it?” Sen. Sasse, often wrongly considered to be a moderate, said. “I’m not not answering questions that are about hypotheticals that are just Pelosi trying to divide America with culture wars. I think it’s just the same bullshit. She’s not an adult.”
Images via Senate.gov
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.
![]() |