Democrats in the U.S. Senate are expected to put on the floor this week legislation to protect the marriages of same-sex couples, in response to far right U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas‘ call for cases to overturn the 2015 landmark Obergefell decision that found marriage equality is a constitutional right.
“The latest version of the bill clarifies religious liberties and includes language that reaffirms the bill does not validate polygamy, which some Republican members had expressed concerns about,” Semafor reports.
Several Republicans have expressed contempt for the legislation. Sen. Marco Rubio called it a “stupid waste of time.”
A similar House version of the Respect for Marriage Act passed with several dozen Republicans voting to support the legislation, and 157 Republicans voting against it.
These bills do not protect the right of same-sex couples to marry, they only require states that ban same-sex marriage to recognize same-sex couples’ legal marriages from other states or jurisdictions.
Specifically, should the U.S. Supreme Court strike down Obergefell v. Hodges, which made the right of same-sex couples to marry the law of the land, this legislation would not prevent states from banning marriage equality.
In July, HuffPost’s Igor Bobic reported Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota said “he doesn’t think House gay marriage bill is necessary,” and quoted him saying: “I think there’s a difference between matrimony as a sacrament and a legal marriage and so if someone wants to do that type of a partnership, I’m not opposed.”
At the time, Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) was “noncommittal,” Bobic reported.
“Given the fact that the law is settled on this,” Romney said, “I don’t think we need to lose sleep over it unless there were a development that suggested the law was going to be changed.”
When Romney was the Governor of Massachusetts that state became the first in the nation to make same-sex marriage legal. Romney was reportedly opposed to meeting with LGBTQ activists but finally did, and reportedly was surprised to learn why they wanted marriage to be legal.
“I didn’t know you had families,” Gov. Romney told the gay parents in 2004.
Also in July, CNN reported U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA) “suggested he’s a no on the bill.”
“It’s a pure messaging bill. I mean, it’s obviously settled law right now,” Cassidy told CNN. “This is a pure messaging bill by a party which has failed on substantive issues, be it inflation, crime or the border, and now are looking for cultural issues in order to somehow do better in November.”
“It’s such a silly messaging bill,” he added, saying, refusing to answer if he would vote for it.
CNN also asked all 50 Republican U.S. Senators their position on same-sex marriage.
Five suggested they would likely support the bill.
“Rob Portman of Ohio, Susan Collins of Maine, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin (likely), Lisa Murkowski of Alaska (likely) and Thom Tillis of North Carolina (likely).”
Eight told CNN they would not, and oppose same-sex marriage. Fifteen said they were undecided, and 22 refused to respond.
This is a breaking news and developing story.
This article has been updated to note CNN asked 50 Republican Senators, not 50 Senators.