Who are the 47 Republicans who voted for the same-sex marriage bill passed in Congress?
Justice Clarence Thomas wrote an opinion calling for the reversal of landmark cases protecting marriage equality, Congress moves to protect those rights.
Congressional Democrats are mounting a legislative response to Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion in the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v Wade that could see other landmark rulings that grant Americans rights reversed. This week bills to protect marriage equality and access to birth control are coming before lawmakers in the House.
On Tuesday, a bill to codify marriage equality for same-sex and interracial couples passed the House of Representatives, with nearly four dozen Republicans joining every Democrat. The Respect for Marriage Act, if it passes the Senate, it would protect marriage equality by repealing the Defense of Marriage Act. At the same time providing federal protections for same-sex and interracial couples.
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Why did the bill repeal DOMA?
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was passed by a bipartisan majority in 1996 and signed into law by then-President Bill Clinton. The legislation recognized marriage as “only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife.” The term ‘spouse’, furthermore, only applied to “a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.”
The Supreme Court has already struck down sections of DOMA as unconstitutional which led the way to equal treatment of same-sex couples. In 2013, US v Windsor found that the federal government couldn’t discriminate against LGBTQ couples for the purposes of determining federal benefits and protections. Obergefell v Hodges in 2015 legalized same-sex marriages and required states to recognize those performed legitimately in other jurisdictions.
However, DOMA still remains on the books, thus the repeal. The new bill passed Tuesday would codify the equal marriage rights granted by the Supreme Court rulings. It would also provide protections for all married couples to be treated equally on the federal level.
A total of 47 Republicans joined Democrats
The majority of GOP representatives opposed the bill on Tuesday that would protect same-sex and interracial marriage. However, considering the polarized nature of Congress these days, the Democratic legislation garnered 47 Republicans’ approval, in a 267-157 vote in favor.
List of the 47 GOP Representatives:
| Ken Calvert (CA) | Peter Meijer (MI) | Mike Turner (OH) |
| Mike Garcia (CA) | Fred Upton (MI) | Cliff Bentz (OR) |
| Darrell Issa (CA) | Tom Emmer (MN) | Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) |
| Jay Obernolte (CA) | Ann Wagner (MO) | Dan Meuser (PA) |
| David Valadao (CA) | Don Bacon (NE) | Scott Perry (PA) |
| Kat Cammack (FL) | Kelly Armstrong (ND) | Nancy Mace (SC) |
| Mario Diaz-Balart (FL) | Jefferson Van Drew (NJ) | Tom Rice (SC) |
| Carlos Gimenez (FL) | Andrew Garbarino (NY) | Tony Gonzales (TX) |
| Brian Mast (FL) | Chris Jacobs (NY) | John Curtis (UT) |
| Maria Elvira Salazar (FL) | John Katko (NY) | Blake Moore (UT) |
| Michael Waltz (FL) | Nicole Malliotakis (NY) | Burgess Owens (UT) |
| Ashley Hinson (IA) | Elise Stefanik (NY) | Chris Stewart (UT) |
| Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA) | Lee Zeldin (NY) | Dan Newhouse (WA) |
| Mike Simpson (ID) | Mike Carey (OH) | Bryan Steil (WI) |
| Rodney Davis (IL) | David Joyce (OH) | Liz Cheney (WY) |
| Adam Kinzinger (IL) | Anthony Gonzalez (OH) |
Why did Republicans support the bill?
The GOP lawmakers that voted in favor of the marriage equality bill expressed similar views, that it isn’t up to the government to dictate who can and cannot get married. Rep. Peter Meijer pointed out that at the same time the legislation does not dictate to non-state officials or change any religious protections.
He didn’t believe that either Loving v Virginia, nor Obergefell v Hodges would be overturned but if that were to happen it “would cause chaos in some states.” Unions between couples that were once recognized, no longer would be. The vote on Tuesday was to avoid any such occurrence and ensuing chaos.
“If gay couples want to be as happily or miserably married as straight couples, more power to them,” Nancy Mace said in a statement. “I always have and always will support the right of any American to marry. This vote is no different. I believe any two people, regardless of the color of their skin or gender or orientation or otherwise, should be free to enter into marriage together.”