More than 400 Republicans leaders from across the country, including current and former GOP lawmakers from every level of government spanning the last two decades, are calling on the Senate to pass legislation that enshrines same-sex marriage protections.
"We call on the U.S. Senate to pass the Respect for Marriage Act and reaffirm that marriage for gay and lesbian couples is settled law," the letter reads. "Passing the Respect for Marriage Act will remove any uncertainty for the more than one million Americans who are building families, taking on the responsibilities and commitment associated with marriage, and caring for the one they love."
Beyond persuading their colleagues to appeal to their better angels by enshrining the right to same-sex marriage, the push from prominent GOP leaders - past, present and future - signals how critical Republicans consider the forthcoming vote on same sex marriage to be in their ability to eke out enough wins in the upcoming midterm elections to control both chambers of Congress, especially in the Senate, where a handful of tight races in battleground states will decide its fate.
"As Republicans and conservatives, we believe strong families and lasting relationships strengthen communities, and civil marriage is a fundamental freedom central to individual liberty and the pursuit of happiness," reads the letter, which was coordinated by Centerline Action, a new nonprofit group. "We stand with the 71 percent of Americans today, including a majority of registered Republicans, who support the freedom to marry for all Americans."
In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade - a decision that's set to motivate voters, especially women, to the polls far more than anything Democrats have done legislatively on their own - many Republican strategists think that sinking a bill that would enshrine Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriages, would result in a devastating blow on Election Day.
The Respect for Marriage Act, just four pages long, would repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act and require states recognize any marriage between two people, regardless of the "sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of those individuals."
When the proposal was brought to the House for a vote, 47 Republicans crossed party lines to support the measure - including No. 3 Republican Elise Stefanik of New York and Tom Emmer, Minnesota Republican and the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. But support has been more difficult to corral in the Senate, despite support for gay marriage being one of the most rapidly embraced opinions among the American public.
As it stands, 71% of Americans support same-sex marriage, as do 87% of Democrats and 55% of Republicans.
But Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Democrat who in 2012 was the first openly gay person to be elected to the Senate, and Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, have yet to secure support from the five GOP members they need to overcome a filibuster given the split chamber.
So far two Republican senators have said they plan to vote for the bill in addition to Collins: Rob Portman of Ohio and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a moderate Republican who Democrats often turn to for support, has spoken positively about the legislation but has yet to fully commit to supporting it, and Sen. Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican up for reelection, initially said that he had "no reason" to oppose the bill but is now insisting that an amendment on religious freedom be included before signing on.
The letter circulating among Republican leaders urging their GOP Senate colleagues to support the measure is getting more signatures each hour, according to those tallying them. The full list will be released to the public on Wednesday. As of Monday morning, 408 Republicans had signed on to the letter, including dozens of former senators, representatives, governors, Cabinet members and ambassadors.
The list includes those who have long supported same-sex marriage, such as Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, who has been a prominent GOP supporter of the LGBTQ community, as well as others who might see it as strategically advantageous ahead of the midterms, such as Trump-backed celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, who is running for Senate in Pennsylvania - one of the most competitive races in the country - and Joe O'Dea, the Republican nominee for Senate from Colorado.
The communications director for Oz, Brittany Yanick, said in a statement that Oz is "proud to join this effort."
"Dr. Mehmet Oz believes that same sex couples should have the same freedom to get married as straight couples," she said.
O'Dea called for an end to "spending all this time telling people how to live their lives" in a statement.
"You live your life, I'll live mine. I am not going to stand in the way of people who love each other," he said.
The letter is also signed by a handful of former White House officials who served under former President Donald Trump, including Alyssa Farah Griffin, former White House director of strategic communications David Urban, former senior adviser Mike Dubke, former White House communications director Toby Fabrizio, a Republican pollster and former strategist for Trump.
Schumer has committed to holding a vote on the bill, but the specific timing remains unclear.
Collins told reporters last week that the vote would likely be held before the end of September, but a handful of competing priorities could quash that timetable, including legislation to cap insulin costs and, separately, legislation to reform energy permitting, which Schumer promised Sen. Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat, in exchange for his support on the recent reconciliation package. In addition, Congress must pass a stopgap funding measure to avert a government shutdown, and due to the looming midterms, the Senate is also considering shortening its October work session.
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