INDIANAPOLIS — On Wednesday, Senator Mike Braun was one of 37 Republicans who opposed protecting same-sex and interracial marriages by voting against the Respect for Marriage Act.
Despite the opposition, the Senate advanced the legislation after 12 Republican senators sided with the Democrats on a 62-37 vote, sending the bill to Congress.
If passed, the Respect for Marriage Act would ensure that same-sex and interracial unions are enshrined in federal law, granting protection to the marriages by requiring states to recognize them regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.”
Senate Democrats hope to move quickly to pass the bill through Congress while the party still holds control of the House.
The Associated Press reported that recent polling found that more than two-thirds of the public support same-sex unions. Despite this, 32 Republicans opposed the bill. The two Indiana senators split on the bill, however. While Braun opposed voting for same-sex and interracial marriage protections, Senator Todd Young was one of the 12 Republicans to vote in favor of the bill.
