eye-roll

Lindsey Graham proudly votes against “gay marriage” bill and internet tells him to sit back down

Senator Lindsey Graham
Senator Lindsey Graham (Photo: YouTube)

The Respect for Marriage Act cleared a major hurdle last night when it was passed its first hearing in the Senate. It passed 62-37, with 12 Republicans voting for it. One GOP member who voted against it was South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham.

Graham took to Twitter to explain his reasons, saying the bill doesn’t offer enough protection for religious liberty.

“I just voted against the “Respect for Marriage Act” that is supposed to protect gay marriage without creating risks to religious freedom and religious institutions,” Graham said.

“Nothing in the bill adds new protections for gay marriage, but it does, in my view, create great uncertainty about religious liberty and institutions who oppose gay marriage.

“The refusal to adopt Senator Lee’s amendment, which clearly protects religious institutions from reprisals, says all I need to know about the potential risks of the bill to religious liberty.”

Related: Lindsey Graham has outburst on senate floor, is warned to follow decorum rules

Utah Senator Mike Lee said he would have supported the bill if it had an amendment protecting the tax-exempt status of organizations opposed to same-sex marriage on religious beliefs. The idea was dismissed.

Why is congress debating the Respect for Marriage Act?

When the US Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal across the US in 2015, most people regarded the matter as settled. However, with SCOTUS overturning Roe v. Wade earlier this year, there are fears the justices might re-examine same-sex marriage.

Because of this, the Biden administration has moved to codify same-sex and interracial marriage with the introduction of the Respect for Marriage Act.

President Biden was among those to champion the bill yesterday. He said, “Love is love and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love.”

Online, Lindsey Graham’s tweet prompted widespread eye-rolls.

Chaz Bono was among those to wade into the debate.

As did… um, JustForFans.

Related: There aren’t enough smelling salts in the world to save Lindsey Graham right now

Below are the Republicans who voted to advance the Respect for Marriage Act.

  • Roy Blunt (Missouri)
  • Richard Burr (North Carolina)
  • Shelley Capito (West Virginia)
  • Susan Collins (Maine)
  • Joni Ernst (Iowa)
  • Cynthia Lummis (Wyoming)
  • Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)
  • Rob Portman (Ohio)
  • Dan Sullivan (Alaska)
  • Mitt Romney (Utah)
  • Thom Thillis (North Carolina)
  • Todd Young (Indiana)

The bill will now go through further Senate discussion and may face a second vote to close debate.

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