‘Wholly unnecessary’: Why Rep. Andy Barr opposed bill to protect same-sex marriage
Lexington-area Republican Rep. Andy Barr said he voted against a bill designed to protect same-sex marriage on Thursday because he found it “wholly unnecessary” and an affront to those who believe in traditional nuptials.
“This legislation is ostensibly designed to respond to the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. But the majority in Dobbs was clear that this legislation is wholly unnecessary,” Barr said in a statement after the Democratic-led House passed the measure by a vote of 258-169.
“The Court stated, in part, ‘We emphasize that our decision concerns the constitutional right to abortion and no other right.’ So, today’s vote is not about ‘respect for marriage’ as the bill title implies or codifying same-sex marriage,” Barr argued. “Instead, it is about expressing intolerance for people of faith who have a sincerely held religious belief in favor of traditional marriage.”
Every Republican member of the Kentucky congressional delegation voted against the Respect for Marriage Act, which was composed after Justice Clarence Thomas suggested in the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade that other national precedents should be reconsidered.
Democrats, and some Republicans, interpreted that to mean that gay marriage could be next in the High Court’s crosshairs.
Most Republican lawmakers avoided giving a reason why they voted against the protective measure. Last week, Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell ignored queries at a presser before later voting against the act on the Senate floor.
The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 61-36, including a dozen Republicans.
The original legislation was revised to address some concerns among Republicans that it would restrict the religious freedoms of institutions that don’t recognize same-sex marriages. The bill would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which denied federal benefits to same-sex couples.
But Barr suggested that the act could still violate the rights of people who hold those traditional beliefs.
“It is also about impermissibly and unconstitutionally compelling Americans to violate their conscience,” he said in a statement. “Because I believe tolerance should go in all directions, and because I take seriously the First Amendment’s protection of the right of Americans to freely exercise their faith, I voted against this legislation.”
Rep. John Yarmuth, the retiring Louisville Democrat, was the lone Kentucky lawmaker voting in favor of the legislation.
Following House passage, President Joe Biden said the bipartisan legislation would give “peace of mind to millions of LGBTQI+ and interracial couples who are now guaranteed the rights and protections to which they and their children are entitled.”
