Smith votes against Respect for Marriage Act, calls it unnecessary and rushed
Nebraska's representatives are split on their views of the Respect for Marriage Act.
By News Channel NebraskaWASHINGTON - Nebraska's representatives are split on their views of the Respect for Marriage Act.
On Tuesday, Don Bacon voted in favor, while Mike Flood and Adrian Smith voted against the bill which proposes to protect same-sex marriage. The bill passed the House by a 267-157 margin. Smith, the representative for the rural 3rd District, sent a statement to NCN:
“We should be working together to address the challenges Americans are facing, not picking a fight with the Supreme Court when they’ve already indicated no one’s marriage is at risk. This unnecessary bill was rushed through, out of regular order, mostly to give Democrats another talking point against the Supreme Court.”
“It is highly alarming that Mike Flood would vote against protecting the right to marriage,” Flood's opponent in the November general election, Patty Pansing Brooks, said.
It's unclear if the bill will have the backing necessary to carry it through the Senate. At least 10 Republicans would need to support the bill to overcome a potential filibuster.
The bill is largely considered a response to Justice Clarence Thomas' concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson, the recent case that sent abortion regulation to the states. In the opinion, Thomas wrote that the justices should reconsider precedents like Obergefell v. Hodges, the decision that requires states to recognize same-sex marriages.
Mike Flood is the founder and an owner of Flood Communications and News Channel Nebraska.