Washington – The House of Representatives again rejected Rep. Marilyn Musgrave’s constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage Tuesday, with Democrats lambasting the vote as election-year posturing.
The Senate last month defeated an identical bill by Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., so Tuesday’s vote was seen by opponents as a political exercise.
House leaders made the amendment a priority as part of the GOP’s “American Values Agenda,” which also calls for a flag-desecration ban and gun rights. Voters in several states have passed ballot measures banning same-sex marriage.
A majority of the House did vote for the bill, 236-187, but it fell 47 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed for a constitutional amendment. The measure picked up nine “yes” votes from 2004, the last time the House voted on it.
Among Colorado members, all Republicans voted for the ban, while all Democrats voted against it.
Musgrave, R-Fort Morgan, said there was good reasons to bring it up for a recorded vote. “People have a right to know whether their elected officials agree with them on the issue of traditional marriage,” she said.
The bill calls for amending the U.S. Constitution to say that marriage “shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman.” Same-sex marriage is illegal now in all but a handful of states, but amendment backers argue that judges might overturn those laws.
Colorado State University political science professor John Straayer said there’s some political danger for Musgrave in leading the charge on gay marriage once again. “She’s tried to mute, to some extent, that single-issue image,” he said.
Musgrave seemed to back off on the issue for a time. She didn’t introduce the bill last year, and waited until June 6 this year to introduce it again, the day before the Senate rejected it.
Musgrave’s Democratic opponent, state Rep. Angie Paccione, called the vote a “distraction” from issues like aid to farmers.
Democrats said the vote was intended to energize conservative voters in the November election by playing on bigotry against gays and lesbians.
“What’s the Constitution among friends when there’s an election coming up?” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.
Republicans replied they were attacking judges, not gays.
“I stand today with the vast majority of the voters who continue to be outraged that a few activist judges can overturn our traditional definition of marriage,” said Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga.
Mike Soraghan can be reached at 202-662-8730 or msoraghan@denverpost.com.
