For Marriage Equality Rights, The Pressure Just Shifted To The GOP Senate

I love it when a plan comes together. In the lead up to the 2022 midterms, the Democratic House has been intent on passing a series of what I like to call campaign bills. They have no chance of passing the Senate, but it forces GOP incumbents to put their names to a “NO” vote on popular legislation, and if Schumer calls the bill to the floor, it forces the GOP Senators to do the same.

It’s a solid strategy, especially in a year with such hot button issues as abortion rights, marriage equality rights, and climate being high on the public’s mind. The Democrats get to tar their opponents with their actual votes on popular legislation.

But then something happened today that surprised me. Pelosi called a bill to the floor that would codify equal marriage rights before the SCOTUS managed to get their hands on the issue and fuck it up. It was a given that the bill would pass along party lines, and go on to the Senate.

But then lightning struck. The bill didn’t just pass along party lines, 47 Republicans voted to approve the bill, making it one of the most bipartisan bills anybody can remember in recent years. Apparently GOP incumbents in sensitive swing districts got the memo that equality rights are important to their voters.

Now the bill goes to the Senate, and Chuck Schumer would be a moron to not bring it to an immediate vote on the floor for cloture to open it up to floor debate. And this puts GOP incumbents up for reelection this year in a sensitive position.

True, the GOP writ large is completely antithetical to LGBTQ rights. This vote should be a no brainer for them. Except for the fact that 47 Republicans in the House voted with the Democrats to codify same sex marriage equality. And some of them are incumbents in these Senate incumbents states.

Schumer needs to strike while the iron is hot, and call this bill to the floor for a cloture vote to open floor debate. Now that the LGBTQ community is no longer In the closet, they are becoming an electoral force. It isn’t just the LGBTQ’s themselves, it’s the friends and family members who support them in their choices. You anger them at your own peril, and in close states, LGBTQ votes could be critical.

The Democrats are performing perfect political theater in taking votes on popular issues for their voters what have no chance in passing the Senate, just to show they’re trying. But now you have a solid chunk of GOP House incumbents who joined the Democrats to codify marriage equality. It’s in the GOP Senates’ court now, Let’s see what they do.