If it were not for the two votes of Alaska’s U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, Senate Democrats would not have been able to pass their controversial bill that will codify same-sex “marriage” into federal law.
Sullivan and Murkowski, however, were part of a handful of Republicans who broke with their GOP colleagues on Nov. 29 to help enshrine gay “marriage.”
The so-called “Respect for Marriage Act (RFMA) gained the support of 12 Republicans for a final vote of 61 to 36. It needed 60 votes to pass, which means if Sullivan and Murkowski had voted no, it would have failed.
Sullivan has yet to issue a statement about why he broke with Republicans to pass the contentious bill, but the increasingly left-leaning Murkowski quickly posted a statement on her social media accounts, boasting that she has “long supported” same-sex marriage, and was “proud to vote in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act.”
LGBTQ political activists see the bill as a bulwark against any potential future rulings by the conservative-leaning U.S. Supreme Court. Once the bill becomes law, it would protect gay “marriage” even if the high court were to reverse its 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which required states to recognize same-sex “marriage” across the United States.
Many on the cultural right have argued that the Republicans who backed the bill have betrayed bedrock conservative family values.
RFMA would also effectively repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which affirms that marriage is exclusively the union of one man and one woman, and recognizes that states have a right to define marriage in the traditional form.
Conservatives, religious freedom advocates and many prominent pastors and churches warned that RFMA threatens religious liberties. Alliance Defending Freedom, a national organization that defends religious freedoms, warned that the bill embeds a false definition of marriage in the American legal fabric, jeopardizes the tax-exempt status of nonprofits that exercise their belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, endangers faith-based social-service organizations by threatening litigation and liability risk if they follow their views on marriage when working with the government, and makes it more difficult to defend religious freedom and free speech lawsuits.
While a group of five Senators – including three left-of-center Republicans – crafted an amendment aimed at persuading Republicans that the bill sufficiently protects religious freedoms, a number of conservatives pointed out that the amendment is too weak to adequately protect religious liberty.
Prior to the final vote, three separate amendments were offered by conservative Republican Senators Mike Lee (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) to expand and strengthen the religious protections, but all three efforts were voted down.
Sullivan supported the failed amendments, but still chose to vote for the bill, even without the more meaningful religious protections.
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
Sullivan, who has publicly stated that he believes marriage is the union of one man and one woman, has taken heat from conservatives with his decision to support the gay “marriage” bill.
Many on the cultural right have argued that the Republicans who backed the bill have betrayed bedrock conservative family values.
This summer, the House initially passed the bill with 47 Republican votes. Since the Senate has made some amendments, it will need to pass the House again with the new changes. President Joe Biden has vowed to sign it into law.
TAKING ACTION
— Click here to contact Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
— Click here to contact Sen. Dan Sullivan.
13 Comments
There’s nothing worst than a turncoat RINO republican. Let tge names Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan be etched in granite so all will know how didthis to religion and family values. This will be chiseled on both of their grave stones.
Not a big surprise. I have learned that not all Marines are patriotic or have principles. Sellout Sullivan has proved that he, like Lying Lisa is a not a Catholic but a fake Christian. They are both Demoncrats with a fake R only as a political calculation to fool the gullible. Sellout Sullivan was better at faking but for a shorter time.
No more votes for either of these Benedict Arnolds (apologies to the original that at least did some heroic things before switching sides).
No votes for these two.
Not ever.
Correction. Sellout Sullivan is an ex-Marine.
What action can we take now? What would we be emailing? Other than that I will not vote for either Senator in their next bids for re-election. This is a travesty that sure seems unconstitutional. It seems to be a complete violation of the first amendment.
RINO! The both of them! unbelievable!
Alaska RINOs are the biggest RINOs.
Sullivan, the fraud, saw how RCV worked for Lisa so he decided to give it a try too. What he did by supporting this bill was flip all Republicans the bird with a smug smile. I, a veteran, have never felt more betrayed than I have with Dan Sullivan. What a disgraceful soldier he turned out to be.
All the more reason to repeal RCV. So get onboard with Alaskans for honest elections.com and help do that!
I’ll be signing any petition to repeal RCV and rid the judicial process of allowing the “Alaska Jucpdiciary Council” ANY vote on ANY part of the judicial selection process.
My community turned blue, my TWO assembly MISrepresentatives do not listen to any of us, to their constituents.
My city turned blue, my legislative senator MISrepresentative does not listen to any of us, to their constituents. F@#$ing Matt Claman, dont get me started….
My state turned blue, both the federal senators and the congressmember are MISrepresentating us and CLEARLY do not listen to any of us, to their constituents.
Our state turned blue even tho more conservatives voted in supposed conservatives.
Great big middle finger in our faces from every one of them to every one of us.
We no longer matter, deal with that Alaska.
Sen. Sullivan is not good for this state. Check out the Board of Directors at the bottom of this IRI page. Look at the people Dan Sullivan works with in this organization that pushes for “democracy.”
https://www.iri.org/who-we-are/
Senator Sullivan and his newly idolized mentor, Lisa Murkowski; what an interesting duo! Senator Sullivan will now also reap the benefits of remaining in his senatorial seat only by the deceitful fruits of Lisa’s newly implemented RCV system, — and all courtesy of voter apathy and ignorance.
Ohh, I like that photo with lightening coming down from above to strike down the abomination- rainbow flag. Couldn’t have said it better with words
I hope their grand children decide to marry goats or pigs.