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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 30 July 2022
Continued from Front Rubio, who is up for reelec-
A Gallup poll conducted tion this year, told CNN last
in May showed broad sup- week that he thinks the bill
port for same-sex marriage, is a "stupid waste of time."
with 71% of U.S. adults say- He said later that he be-
ing they think such unions lieves "there is zero chance,
should be recognized by below zero chance, that
law, including 55% of Re- the Supreme Court or any-
publicans. Polling in Wis- one is going to outlaw gay
consin mirrors that national marriage in this country."
survey, with 54% of Repub- Even Johnson blamed
licans in the state saying Democrats as he said he
that they favor same-sex was unlikely to oppose it,
marriage in a Marquette arguing that it was settled
Law School poll from April. law and the vote is unnec-
In May 2014, the state poll essary. He said he still be-
found support from only lieves that marriage should
23% of Republicans. be between a man and a
"People began to see that woman. But "society has
the sky has not fallen," Bald- pretty well accepted it and
win said in an interview, moved on," he said.
and that the 2015 decision Other Republicans have
gave legal protections to Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., talks to reporters after a private meeting with Supreme Court nomi- made similar arguments,
families who did not previ- nee Ketanji Brown Jackson at the Capitol in Washington, March 28, 2022. Baldwin, who is the first shifting from the more ideo-
openly gay senator and has been working on gay rights issues since she first entered state politics
ously have them. She says in 1986, says the “world has changed,” especially since the Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. logically rigid statements of
every member of Congress Hodges decision upholding gay marriage. years past.
now has friends, family or Associated Press Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who
staff who are openly gay. will vote against the bill, said
"That probably has the big- more likely be in Septem- Schumer holds a vote. expected in the Senate. he recognizes that "reason-
gest impact on where peo- ber when Congress returns Baldwin and other advo- Republicans opposing the able people can disagree"
ple land," she said. "This is a from the August recess. cates say more GOP sena- bill give a variety of reasons, with him that marriage
vote of conscience." Republican Sens. Rob Port- tors are quietly contem- with most arguing that the should be between a man
The bill pending in the man of Ohio, Susan Collins plating the bill. Democrats Supreme Court is unlikely and a woman, "and there is
Senate would repeal the of Maine and Thom Tillis of need 10 Republican votes to overturn Obergefell and room for a diversity of views
Clinton-era Defense of North Carolina have also to overcome a filibuster that Senate Democrats are on that question."
Marriage Act that allowed said they will vote for the and get a bill through the playing politics by putting North Dakota Sen. Kevin
states to refuse to recog- legislation; Alaska Sen. Lisa 50-50 Senate. the bill on the floor. Demo- Cramer says he will vote
nize same-sex marriages Murkowski has also sup- A range of Republicans crats point to Justice Clar- against it "unless I can be
and instead require states ported same-sex marriage voted for the bill in the ence Thomas ' concurring compelled somehow." He
to recognize all marriages in the past. Several other House, including New York opinion to the June ruling says he believes because
that were legal where they Republicans have said they Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 overturning Roe in which of his evangelical Christian
were performed. The new are undecided, including House Republican; Pennsyl- he said that high court rul- faith that marriage is be-
Respect for Marriage Act Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, Mis- vania Rep. Scott Perry, the ings protecting same-sex tween a man and a wom-
would also protect interra- souri Sen. Roy Blunt, Iowa chair of the conservative marriage and the right for an, but "it's not like I feel
cial marriages by requiring Sen. Joni Ernst and Indiana House Freedom Caucus; couples to use contracep- super strongly about it, ei-
states to recognize legal Sen. Mike Braun. and all four Republican tion should also be recon- ther." Cramer said he thinks
marriages regardless of Notably silent is Senate Re- members of Utah's con- sidered. Asked about their the Senate will get the 60
"sex, race, ethnicity, or na- publican leader Mitch Mc- gressional delegation. opposition, many Republi- votes needed to pass the
tional origin." Connell, who has declined Still, the majority of House cans have focused on the bill. "It's more that people
A vote could come as soon to comment until Senate Republicans voted against process rather than the sub- are ambivalent about it,"
as next week, but it will Majority Leader Chuck it, and a similar dynamic is stance. Florida Sen. Marco he said.q

Jan. 6 panel to share 20 transcripts with Justice Department

WASHINGTON (AP) — The the committee is sharing. Pence have appeared
House Jan. 6 committee The information sharing before a federal grand
will share 20 of its interview comes after the commit- jury and prosecutors have
transcripts with the Justice tee had rejected a Jus- seized records from a group
Department as federal tice Department request of Republicans who served
prosecutors have been in- for transcripts in May. At as fake electors in battle-
creasingly focused on ef- the time, the committee's ground states won by Presi-
forts by former President chairman, Mississippi Rep. dent Joe Biden. Trump and
Donald Trump and his allies Bennie Thompson, had said his allies pushed officials
to overturn the results of the it was "premature" for the in those states to replace
election. committee to share its work Biden's duly selected elec-
A committee aide said that because the panel's probe tors with ones who support-
the panel will share the is ongoing. ed him as they advanced
20 transcripts but has "no Since then, the panel claims that his victory had
plans to share additional has been negotiating an been stolen.
A video of President Donald Trump speaking on Jan. 6 is played transcripts at this time." The agreement over the docu- It remains unclear whether
as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack person, who requested an- ments as the department prosecutors might seek
on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, onymity to discuss the con- has stepped up its probes. to bring criminal charges
July 21, 2022. fidential transaction, would Several senior aides to for- against Trump, who denies
Associated Press not say which interviews mer Vice President Mike any wrongdoing.q