Republicans mulling how to respond to same-sex marriage, report says

WASHINGTON, July 18 (UPI) — Republican lawmakers are trying to determine how to respond to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to legalize same-sex marriage — and there appear to be two split camps on the issue.

Some in Congress want to offer federal protection to tax-exempt entities and individuals who oppose gay marriage on religious or moral grounds — similar to laws passed in Indiana and Arkansas earlier this year, called Religious Freedom acts. In fact, sponsored legislation currently exists in the House of Representatives to offer those protections, the New York Times reported Friday.

In the other camp, moderate congressional Republicans appear to go the opposite route — wanting to narrow the scope of protections given to objectors of same-sex rights and increase protection for the LGBT community.

“The Supreme Court’s decision on marriage raises a lot of other questions, and a number of members have concerns about issues that it raises and how they might be addressed,” House Speaker John Boehner said Friday. “But no decision has been made on how best to address these.”

The Supreme Court decided June 23 to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide, but opposition remains.

Supporters of the First Amendment Defense Act claim those who oppose same-sex marriage deserve to be able to honor their convictions without fear of government reprisals.

“All religious Americans deserve assurance that they can carry out their conscience without a federal government crackdown,” Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, said.

The bills passed in Indiana and Arkansas were amended not long after they passed, due to a large backlash against what critics saw as legal bigotry. It is unclear whether the FADA might face the same resistance, should it pass.

“I would really hate to see the Indiana nightmare turn into a national debacle,” Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Penn., said.

The moderates’ legislation specifically adds protection for same-sex couples who might face discrimination in the workplace and adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected attributes in the Fair Housing Act, the Times report said.

At present, 134 Republicans in the House and 34 in the Senate favor the FADA — specifically so opponents of same-sex marriage won’t have their tax-exempt statuses revoked by the government.

According to a a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll this week, nearly 50 percent of GOP supporters said officials who oppose same-sex unions should continue to defy the Supreme Court’s ruling.