157 House Republicans Voted Against a Bill That Would Enshrine Protections for Gay Marriage After a Supreme Court Opinion

MADISON, Wis. – Yesterday, nearly every Wisconsin House Republican voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, which would enshrine marriage equality in federal law, repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and provide additional protections for marriage equality.

"Just weeks after a conservative Supreme Court opinion signaled that same-sex marriage could be at risk, it’s unconscionable that Representatives Fitzgerald, Gallagher, Grothman, and Tiffany voted against legislation to protect marriage equality," said Democratic Party of Wisconsin Rapid Response Director Julia Hamelburg. "While Democrats continue to protect Wisconsinites’ inherent rights, Wisconsin Republicans want to roll back the clock – targeting Wisconsinites’ freedoms to make their own health care decisions or marry the person that they love."

Today’s vote on the Respect for Marriage Act follows the Supreme Court’s decision to ignore 50 years of precedent to overturn Roe v. Wade – which allow states to outlaw abortion and could potentially target other rights, such as the right to same-sex marriage and the right to contraception. Despite these clear threats to Wisconsinites’ fundamental rights, four Wisconsin House Republicans and 157 total Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted against legislation to protect marriage equality from conservative judges. This vote comes just a week after every Wisconsin Republican in Congress voted against bills to protect abortion rights and prevent states from penalizing a person for traveling across state lines to access health care.