Ron Johnson Signals Support for Marriage Equality Bill: ‘I See No Reason to Oppose It’

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Republican Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) signaled on Thursday he would vote in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act should it come before a vote before the U.S. Senate.

In a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Johnson said:

The Respect for Marriage Act is another example of Democrats creating a state of fear over an issue in order to further divide Americans for their political benefit. Even though I feel the Respect for Marriage Act is unnecessary, should it come before the Senate, I see no reason to oppose it

Johnson’s support for the bill came as a surprise as the staunch Republican Senator came out in support of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade and is known to vote along party lines.

Johnson is up for reelection in November and polls indicate a tight race, despite the Democrats having yet to nominate their candidate.

The RFMA passed the House on Tuesday with 47 Republican members voting in favor. The law would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act which defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman and was overturned by the Supreme Court with 2015’s Obergefell v. Hodges.

While the RFMA would guarantee federal protections for same-sex marriages it would not require states to issue same-sex marriage licenses.

Slate’s Mark Joseph Stern explains:

The RFMA would repeal DOMA, directing the federal government to recognize same-sex couples’ lawful marriages. But it also goes further, compelling states to recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere—even if the Supreme Court overturns Obergefell and restores states’ authority to refuse marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The bill also protects interracial marriage. Some pundits fear the Supreme Court could overturn certain rights related to privacy and substantive due process in the wake of the court overturning Roe v. Wade – the federal right to abortion access.