Liz Cheney Votes to Codify Same-Sex Marriage
On Tuesday, Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney voted in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act, which repeals the Defense of Marriage Act and codifies gay marriage.
Cheney was one of 47 Republicans who voted in favor of the bill, along with all 220 Democrats, which will now make its way to the Senate for consideration.
Politico reports that the bill "would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act passed in 1996 that defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman. It would also require states to recognize same-sex marriages, as long as it was valid in the state in which it occurred."
Other notable Republicans who voted in favor of the bill include Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), who replaced Cheney as the GOP Conference Chair after House Republicans voted to remove her, due to her war of words with former president Donald Trump.
National Republican Campaign Committee Chair Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn) also voted yes.
Cheney's vote, in particular, is an interesting one given her previous stance on the subject of same-sex marriage.
"Notable among those conservatives was Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming -- in a break from her past stance on the issue, which famously put her at odds with her parents and sister, who is gay," ABC News reported. "In 2021, Cheney reversed her opinion and said, 'I was wrong.'"
Cheney is currently defending her position in the House of Representatives against the Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman, among others. While Wyoming Republicans seem to be leaning towards Hageman, Cheney has received donations from Democrat donors this cycle, and Cheney's campaign has provided instructions for voters on how to change their party affiliation, possibly in an effort to court Democrats.
It is unclear what the chances are that the bill will pass the Senate, as it needs at least 10 Republicans to overcome a filibuster, and it's unclear at this time if there are enough votes to make that happen.