House

Dems on gay-marriage ruling: ‘Love wins!’

by Mike Lillis - 06/26/15 11:08 AM ET

Democrats immediately hailed the Supreme Court’s historic decision to legalize gay marriage nationwide Friday, with many lawmakers blasting ecstatic statements framing the ruling as a long overdue victory for civil rights and human dignity.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) cheered the “monumental” decision as a “transformative” development and “a declaration of our deepest held values.”

“This is about freedom. This is about love,” she said. “This is transformative, not only for LGBT families, but for America.”

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) said she’s “thrilled” by a decision that “will make us a stronger, fairer and better nation.”

Rep. Jim Cooper (Tenn.), a Blue Dog Democrat, cheered the High Court for ruling “on the right side of history.”

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), an icon of the black struggle for equal rights, framed the decision as “another major step down a very long road toward the realization of a fair and just society.”

Rep. Jared Polis, a gay Colorado Democrat, was outside the Supreme Court taking selfies and tweeting his own accolades.

“I love the Supremes!!!!” he tweeted.

And Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) summarized the Democratic sentiments in a simple two-word statement: “Love wins!”

Prominent Republicans had a very different take, with some blasting the ruling as a case of judicial overreach that tramples on the rights of states to set their own marriage rules.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said he’s “disappointed that the Supreme Court disregarded the democratically-enacted will of millions of Americans by forcing states to redefine the institution of marriage.”

“My views are based on my upbringing and my faith. I believe that marriage is a sacred vow between one man and one woman, and I believe Americans should be able to live and work according to their beliefs,” he said in a statement.

Ben Carson, a 2016 GOP presidential contender, said he “strongly disagree[s]” with the decision, urging Congress to take steps “to make sure deeply held religious views are respected and protected.”

“The government must never force Christians to violate their religious beliefs,” Carson said in a statement.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), another 2016 presidential hopeful, echoed that message.

“Guided by my faith, I believe in traditional marriage. I believe the Supreme Court should have allowed the states to make this decision,” Bush said in a statement.

Still, Bush seemed to couch those sentiments with calls to “love our neighbor and respect others.”

“In a country as diverse as ours, good people who have opposing views should be able to live side by side,” he said. “It is now crucial that as a country we protect religious freedom and the right of conscience and also not discriminate.”

In its 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court found that states cannot deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples and that they are required to recognize same-sex marriages sanctioned by other states.

Justice Anthony Kennedy was the deciding swing vote, joining the four liberal members of the high court in ruling in favor of marriage equality.

Pelosi, a San Francisco liberal who has made lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights a cornerstone of her political career, emphasized that there’s more work to be done. She called on Congress to build on the Supreme Court’s decision by establishing “a comprehensive LGBT civil rights bill.”

“We must continue the fight for the full protections that are long overdue for LGBT Americans, many of whom can still be fired for who they are and who they love,” she said. “No American should ever lose their job, their home, or live in fear because of their sexual orientation or gender identity – and that’s why Congress must now take up a comprehensive LGBT civil rights bill.”

Tags Gay Marriage John Boehner John Lewis Nancy Pelosi same sex marriage Supreme Court