Marriage bill passes, but opposition lingers
Pennsylvania鈥檚 senators are readying for a vote to enshrine same-sex and and interracial marriage in federal law, weeks after a divided House voted in favor of marriage rights.
The sudden push to put the rights in law 鈥� years after the Supreme Court established them nationwide 鈥� follows the earth-shaking reversal of the Roe v. Wade ruling that confirmed the right to abortion.
Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., has spoken in favor of the bill, while Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., has so far remained quiet.
Since the abortion decision, a cohort of mostly Democratic lawmakers has rushed to protect other rights that depend on the Supreme Court鈥檚 backing. While the high court can rule against federal laws as well, passage would send a message and ensure individual states can鈥檛 chip away at protections.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more important than ever that marriage equality be enshrined into federal law,鈥� Casey tweeted this week. 鈥淚 support the Respect for Marriage Act and look forward to voting for it on the Senate floor because LGBTQ rights are human rights.鈥�
As of Thursday, Toomey remained publicly undecided on the bill.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a comment just yet,鈥� he said last week, according to Vox.
The short bill ensures no official can deny rights and protections to a married couple on the basis of gender, sex or ethnic and national background, and opens those who violate it to lawsuits.
The measure passed the House earlier this month in a 267-157 vote, with all Democrats and a minority of Republicans in favor. Of Pennsylvania鈥檚 congressional delegation, three Republicans voted for the bill: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st District, Rep. Dan Meuser, R-9th District, and Rep. Scott Perry, R-10th District.
The rest of the state鈥檚 Republicans voted against the bill.
Rep. Glenn 鈥淕.T.鈥� Thompson, R-15th District, drew national attention this week after he attended his son鈥檚 wedding to another man 鈥� three days after voting against a federal right to that marriage. A Thompson spokeswoman called the bill 鈥渘othing more than an election-year messaging stunt for Democrats鈥� in a statement to the Tribune-Review.
Same-sex marriage remains broadly popular in the U.S., including among Republicans, according to polls. Many GOP candidates, including Pennsylvania U.S. Senate hopeful Mehmet Oz, have signaled support for it.
But in some states, segments of the party are moving to roll back policies in favor of same-sex marriage.
In Texas, the state鈥檚 Log Cabin Republicans 鈥� a group of LGBTQ party members 鈥� have lamented recent defeats at party gatherings. Last month, the Texas state party passed a platform plank calling homosexuality an 鈥渁bnormal lifestyle choice.鈥�
For some Pennsylvania Republicans, it seems the LGBTQ legal battleground has simply shifted 鈥� with transgender rights replacing same-sex marriage as the topic of debate.
鈥淭his vote was not difficult for me, as it does not infringe upon anyone鈥檚 personal and religious rights,鈥� Meuser told reporters after he voted for the federal marriage bill. But, he stressed: 鈥淚 will continue to push for restrictions on men entering women鈥檚 sports.鈥�
High-tech bill means factory subsidies
Lawmakers and manufacturers hailed a bill, passed last week in the U.S. Senate and House, that would pump billions of dollars in public money into high-tech industry in states including Pennsylvania.
The House passed the CHIPS and Science Act on Thursday, clearing the way for $52 billion to be spent on industrial subsidies in a bid to compete with China. Hundreds of billions more are set to be spent on high-tech research.
Casey praised the bill鈥檚 64-33 passage in the Senate earlier this week, pointing to high-tech research hubs in Pittsburgh and semiconductor manufacturing in eastern Pennsylvania.
鈥淏y investing in technology and manufacturing, we will create countless jobs, shore up supply chains and protect our national and economic security,鈥� he said in a written statement.
Manufacturers lobbied for the bill, and governors in several states 鈥� including Pennsylvania 鈥� had long called for investment in high-tech industries that could boost job numbers in their states.
Last year, Gov. Tom Wolf joined several counterparts across the country in calling for an earlier version of the bill to be passed. Computer chip manufacturers have signaled they could expand production in several states if the bill became law.
It passed the House Thursday in a 243-187 vote, setting the stage for President Joe Biden鈥檚 signature.
Biden sung the plan鈥檚 praises this week, hailing it as an advance for national security and the economy.
鈥淢anufacturing jobs are back,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hanks to this bill, we are going to have even more of them.鈥�
Ryan Brown covers statewide politics for Ogden Newspapers. He can be reached at rbrown@altoonamirror.com.