GOP Senator Ron Johnson Flip-Flops on Marriage Support
Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin did a 180 on his stance toward the Respect for Marriage Act. He had stated support in July, but he now says he "would not support it in its current state."
Political news site The Hill reported that Johnson, "who is embroiled in a tough reelection race," had initially indicated that he would support the act if it were brought up to a vote.
Johnson framed his support in a slam against Democratic members of the Senate, telling The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "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."
Still, he added at that time, "Even though I feel the Respect for Marriage Act is unnecessary, should it come before the Senate, I see no reason to oppose it."
The evenly divided Senate is expected to put the measure to a vote, and in order to overcome an almost certain filibuster it will need 10 Republicans to join all the chamber's Democratic members.
Despite his earlier comments, Johnson told his audience at a meeting of Common Sense Citizens of Washington County last week that he "would not support it in its current state." His comments were posted by Heartland Signal, The Washington Post reported.
Following a report on those comments by the Journal Sentinel, he told the press on Sept. 7 that after having "talked to people there are some very serious concerns on religious liberty."
He also told the Journal Sentinel that his original comments were designed to get the press "off my backs [sic]."
"So you just get hounded on this crap, right?" the Journal Sentinel quoted him as saying. "So just to get them off my backs, I wrote a press release, and I said I always supported civil unions. Never felt that we needed to do anything other than that."
Same-sex couples do not necessarily share the view that civil unions is enough, or that their desire to participate in full and equal marriage rights are "crap." Nor does fellow Republican senator Susan Collins of Maine — one of three Republican senators who have already stated their support for the measure — agree that the act poses any hazards to religious liberty or the free exercise of conscience. The Hill noted that Collins, together with Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin — who herself is openly gay — posted an op-ed in the Washington Post on Sept. 6 pointing out that the bill "leaves intact religious liberties and protections afforded to individuals and organizations under federal law."
The two senators argued in their op-ed that "Individuals in same-sex and interracial marriages need, and should have, the confidence that their marriages are legal. These loving couples should be guaranteed the same rights and freedoms of every other marriage."
The Washington Post pointed out that Senate Democrats' action on the bill was "a direct result of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June" — an outcome once thought unimaginable by many Americans.
"Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in his concurrence with that decision that the high court should also examine previous rulings that legalized the right for married couples to buy and use contraception without government restriction (Griswold v. Connecticut), same-sex relationships (Lawrence v. Texas) and marriage equality (Obergefell v. Hodges)," the Post added.
In his comments to the Journal Sentinel, Johnson clung to a conviction that, after the Court's overturning of women's reproductive freedoms, seems naive. Saying that "Justice Thomas is probably right that [Obergefell] was wrongly decided," Johnson maintained that the question of whether the 2015 ruling was decided correctly is "a different issue as to whether or not the Supreme Court would overturn" marriage equality.
"They never will," Johnson asserted. "I do not see any scenario."
Johnson's switch regarding the Respect for Marriage Act is not his only recent flipflop. Earlier this year the senator changed tack and announced he would run for re-election after previously saying he would step down after serving two terms.
He has, however, remained unwavering in his support of former President Donald Trump.
"Johnson over the past year has been a leading voice in downplaying the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and the coronavirus pandemic, in addition to remaining a vocal Trump supporter," the Associated Press reported, adding that "before the U.S. Capitol was stormed [on Jan. 6, 2021], Johnson objected to counting the Electoral College votes from Arizona."