A war of words has broken out between Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Florida Senator Marco Rubio.
Yesterday, Jake Tapper interviewed Buttigieg for CNN”s State of the Union show. Buttigieg was asked about the opposition shown by some Republicans to the Respect for Marriage Act. Specifically, Tapper asked him about Rubio calling the legislation a “stupid waste of time.”
Rubio says there is no threat the same-sex marriage and therefore the legislation is unnecessary.
“If he’s got time to fight against Disney, I don’t know why he wouldn’t have time to safeguard marriages like mine.”@PeteButtigieg reacts to some GOP senators saying they will vote against a bill that is meant to codify protections for same-sex marriage. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/Le9OSepeW6
— CNN (@CNN) July 24, 2022
Related: Marco Rubio says he knows what’s upsetting the gays, and it’s not marriage rights
Buttigieg, who is gay and married, responded, “If [Rubio’s] got time to fight against Disney, I don’t know why he wouldn’t have time to help safeguard marriages like mine — look, this is really, really important to a lot of people. It’s certainly important to me.”
He went on to talk about spending breakfast with his infant twins, to give his husband Chasten a rest. Buttigieg said, “That’s no small thing, as every parent of small kids knows.
“That half-hour of my morning had me thinking about how much I depend on and count on my spouse every day, and our marriage deserves to be treated equally.”
What is the ‘Respect for Marriage’ Act?
The Respect for Marriage Act came about after the Supreme Court decided last month to overturn Roe v Wade, sending the issue of abortion back to individual states.
Justice Clarence Thomas, in his opinion notes, said the court should look again at Obergefell v. Hodges. That 2015 SCOTUS ruling legalized same-sex marriage across the US.
To help protect equal marriage, members of Congress introduced the Respect for Marriage Act in both chambers. It repeals the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996.
DOMA defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman. It has technically remained in place, despite the SCOTUS ruling of 2015.
If SCOTUS was to reverse Obergefell, states could potentially use DOMA to block same-sex marriage.
Having passed in the House, all eyes are now on the Senate to see if the ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ passes there. At least ten Republican Senators will have to support the legislation for it to pass.
Asked last week by Punchbowl News if he would support the legislation, Rubio said, “I don’t know why we’re doing that bill. There’s no threat to its status in America.
“But I know plenty of gay people in Florida that are pissed off about gas prices,” he added.
CNN’s Manu Raju also asked him about it. Republican Rubio told him the legislation was a “stupid waste of time.”
Related: Pete Buttigieg highlights the GOP lawmakers living in the past
Rubio responds to Buttigieg criticism
In a new video posted to social media last night, Rubio shot back at Buttigieg’s criticism of him. He accused Buttigieg of not understanding the difference between a state-level issue (Rubio’s fight against Disney and the “transgender agenda”), and a federal issue (the same-sex marriage legislation).
“Working Americans, of every background, struggle with real problems like gas prices & flight cancellations,” Rubio said in the accompanying caption. “But we have a Transportation Secretary who wants us to focus on a fake problem & who went to Harvard but apparently doesn’t know the difference between state & federal issues.”
Working Americans,of every background,struggle with real problems like gas prices & flight cancellations
But we have a Transportation Secretary who wants us to focus on a fake problem & who went to Harvard but apparently doesn’t know the difference between state & federal issues pic.twitter.com/hI5rMKvwvX
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) July 24, 2022
Rubio finished by saying, “I’m not gonna focus on the agenda dictated by a bunch of affluent, elitist liberals, and a bunch of Marxist misfits.”
Cam
Pete is good at going on Fox and getting the truth out in spite of the hosts trying to cut him off or interrupt him.
Republicans are desperate and keep trying this whole “We don’t have time, nobody is interested, gas prices are more important, etc… anything they can to deflect from their hatred of women, minorities, LGBTW people, etc….
abfab
Pete is a Marxist?
HenryCameron
Pete’s father Joseph, who had a huge influence on him, was a founding member and president of the International Gramsci Society dedicated to Antonio Gramsci, a Marxist philosopher and a Communist Party founder and leader in Italy. Even Snopes has labeled as true that Joseph Buttigieg was a “Marxist professor” who lauded and spoke fondly of The Communist Manifesto written by Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx. So how far did the apple fall from the tree?
Mister P
No he isn’t a Marxist. Is marriage equality something Marx wrote about?
Rubio is pro discrimination though.
abfab
Please read entire articles before engaging. You miss a lot.
Vince
Try as I might I didn’t find one thing wrong with being a Marxist or Liberal. Instead of debating with you know.. facts Rubio is just throwing the usual right wing shit against the wall as an excuse.
I guess calling him the usual communist hits too close to home since the Republicans are in bed with. with them.
abfab
Rubio is knitting with only one needle. He’s a pastey white Florida clown. He and Desantis should be the ones getting mauled by those swamp creatures down there. Oh, and the POS too.
still_onthemark
So Rubio knows a lot of gay people in FL who are so pissed off about gas prices that they’ll vote for gay-bashing, forced birth, fascism, and the end of democracy? Yeah right.
CNY1983
little-dick-marco thinks the people who vote for him are idiots who dont have gay family members or gay friends or know any gay people.
In little-dick-marco world everyone sits around at work all day trying to decide the best bible verse to post on his twitter account.
THAT IS WHAT HE DOES FOR WORK ISN’T IT?
I dont see him on an oil rig opening the spigot for his constiuents so they can burn rubber on 95 from coral gables to pompano.
if i were you id start talking about what i intend to do about the entire half of florida disappearing before your pubic hair goes gray.
have a blessed day and stay out of the sun, rush limberger was wrong and actually he was a big fat liar.
nobodys buying the republicanbullshit anymore and youre about to find that out.
bachy
Ruby is a cagey MF committed to the rolling back of human rights – and no one should believe a word he says.
dbmcvey
Have Republicans realized they’re overstepping so they’re trying to change the narrative?
GayEGO
Pete is a great guy and we need more like him! He has a great marriage to his husband Chasten and their kids will do well by their parents Pete and Chasten.
Rubio and his ilk live in the old world and will soon be gone and forgotten.
Tombear
My dream is that Pete is elected President in my lifetime