Topline
The Respect for Marriage Act passed the House on Thursday in a bipartisan 258-169 vote, but the legislation earned eight fewer Republican votes than an earlier version of the bill did in July, after seven GOP members changed their votes from yes to no.
Rep. Scott Perry (R-Penn.) is one of the seven GOP members who voted in favor of a July version of … [+]
Key Facts
The seven GOP members who voted for the earlier legislation and against the latest version include Reps. Cliff Bentz (Or.), Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.), Brian Mast (Fla.), Daniel Meuser (Penn.), Scott Perry (Penn.), Maria Elvira Salazar (Fla.), and Jefferson Van Drew (N.J.).
Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) voted present on Thursday after voting for the bill in July.
Two additional Republicans who voted in favor of the July bill did not cast votes on Thursday: Reps. Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) and Lee Zeldin (N.Y.).
Two Republicans flipped from no to yes: Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler (Wash.) and Mike Gallagher (Wisc.).
Diaz-Balart said he voted against the bill because it “undermines religious liberties by failing to provide legitimate safeguards,” he said in a statement that did not explain why he previously voted in favor of the legislation.
Bentz said in August that he voted in favor of the previous version of the bill largely because it also grants protections to interracial married couples, The Madras Pioneer reported.
Mast said in August he supported the July bill because “I could give a rat’s caboose who somebody marries,” he told the Washington Post, adding that the Republicans who voted against it did so in protest of Democrats’ speedy introduction of the legislation.
Contra
In addition to Diaz-Balart, some Republicans and conservative groups expressed concerns that the legislation would expose religious groups that do not support same-sex marriage to lawsuits and threaten their tax-exempt status, even though the bill explicitly states it only applies to government officials.
Key Background
The Respect for Marriage Act would install federal protections for same-sex married couples and require states to recognize their unions. The Senate passed the legislation last week in a bipartisan vote, and it was sent back to the House after it was amended to include language stating religious organizations would not lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose same-sex marriage. The House passed the legislation Thursday with the support of 219 Democrats and 39 Republicans; 47 GOP members approved it in July. The bill now awaits the signature of President Joe Biden, who has indicated he will sign it into law.
Further Reading
House Passes Same-Sex Marriage Protections, Sending Legislation To Biden’s Desk (Forbes)
Senate Passes Same-Sex Marriage Protection Bill In Bipartisan Vote (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2022/12/08/these-7-gop-house-members-voted-against-same-sex-marriage-protections-after-backing-them-in-july/