Republican Sen. Rob Portman Cosponsoring Marriage Equality Bill
first announced his support for marriage equality in 2013. He made his support for the Respect for Marriage Act clear by agreeing to cosponsor it in the Senate, Cleveland’s ABC affiliate reports.The House passed the bill Tuesday by a margin of 267 to 157, with 47 Republicans joining all Democrats in voting for it.
It is designed to maintain marriage equality even if the Supreme Court overturns the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, which established equal marriage rights nationwide in 2015.
In a concurring opinion when the court overturned the Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision, Justice Clarence Thomas said the justices should reverse Obergefell and certain other rulings on individual rights.A case challenging marriage equality would have to come to the high court for that to happen, and there isn’t one currently in the lower courts, although anti-LGBTQ+ forces would certainly love to bring one.
Portman said he doesn’t think the Supreme Court is likely to overturn Obergefell, his team told the Cleveland station, but he found it important to support the legislation.
