Who Voted for and Against the Respect for Marriage Act? Here’s Who Supports Equality
Published Nov. 17 2022, 12:26 p.m. ET
People are understandably relieved after the Respect for Marriage Act was passed, protecting both same-sex and interracial marriages. It's beyond shocking that things have come to that in the U.S., but it makes many wonder about the Respect for Marriage Act's vote count, which Republicans voted for it, and who voted against it.
Obviously we're celebrating the victory of the law being passed, but it's still jarring that losing protection for "non-traditional marriages" (ugh) would even be on the table in the first place.
What is the Respect for Marriage Act?
As previously mentioned, the Respect for Marriage Act is a bill that provides legal protection over same-sex and interracial marriages.
According to Congress, the bill states that marriage doesn't only have to be between a man and a woman. It confirms that marriage is valid under state law for anyone and everyone, preventing the denial of marriage between two people based on sex, race, ethnicity, or nationality.
It also enables the Department of Justice to bring legal action to anyone who violates the right to anyone getting married in any of these instances. So even though the Pope won't endorse same-sex marriage, the law will.
The Respect for Marriage Act vote count:
Luckily, the Senate showed overwhelming support for the Respect for Marriage Act when the vote took place on Nov. 16.
According to the U.S. Senate, there were 62 yeses, 37 nos, and one person who didn't vote. The required majority for the law to pass was three out of five — which means it passed with flying colors.
Which Republicans voted for the Respect for Marriage Act?
While it was mostly Democrats who voted to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, some Republicans voted to pass it, too.
According to the U.S. Senate, these include: Missouri senator Roy Blunt; North Carolina senator Richard Burr; West Virginia senator Shelley Moore Capito; Maine senator Susan Collins; Iowa senator Joni Ernst; Wyoming senator Cynthia Lummis; Arkansas senator Lisa Murkowski; Ohio senator Robert Jones Portman; Utah senator Mitt Romney; Alaska senator Dan Sullivan; North Carolina senator Thom Tillis; and Indiana senator Todd Young.
Who voted against the Respect for Marriage Act?
As previously mentioned, there were 37 "nays" when it came to voting against the Respect for Marriage Act. And no surprise, they were all Republican.
These heartless people include: Wyoming senator John Barrasso (R); Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn (R); Arkansas senator John Boozman; Indiana senator Mike Braun; Louisiana senator Bill Cassidy; Texas senator John Cornyn; Arkansas senator John Cotton (R); North Dakota senator Kevin Cramer (R); Idaho senator Mike Crapo (R); Texas senator Ted Cruz; Montana senator Steve Daines (R); Nebraska senator Deb Fischer (R); South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham (R); Iowa senator Chuck Grassley (R); Tennessee senator Bill Hagerty (R); Missouri senator Josh Hawley (R); North Dakota senator John Hoeven (R); Mississippi senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R); Oklahoma senator Jim Inhofe (R); Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson (R); Louisiana senator John Kennedy (R); Oklahoma senator James Lankford (R); Utah senator Mike Lee (R); Kansas senator Roger Marshall (R); Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell (R); Kansas senator Jerry Moran (R); Kentucky senator Rand Paul (R); Idaho senator James Risch (R); South Dakota senator Mike Rounds (R); Florida senator Marco Rubio (R); Florida senator Rick Scott (R); South Carolina senator Tim Scott (R); Alabama senator Richard Shelby (R); South Dakota senator John Thune (R); Pennsylvania senator Pat Toomey (R); Alabama senator Tommy Tuberville (R); and Mississippi senator Roger Wicker (R).