US: Republicans won’t file Supreme Court brief for same-sex marriage case
The GOP has indicated it will file no brief to the Supreme Court, ahead of an upcoming case on same-sex marriage.
The Supreme Court announced last month that it would take up appeals against marriage rulings from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee – in a case that could lead to equal marriage in all 50 states.
The Republican party is stanchly opposed to same-sex marriage, and spent an estimated $2 million in 2013 fighting against it in a previous Supreme Court case.
However, GOP leaders have signalled that they will not file a brief in the new case, which threatens to impact 13 primarily-Republican states with marriage bans.
Speaker John Boehner said: “I don’t expect that we’re going to weigh in on this.
“The Court will make its decision, and that’s why they’re there — to be the highest court in the land.”
Similarly, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell – who signed a brief in the 2013 case – also seemed unwilling to intervene in the issue again.
He said: “The Court is going to decide this issue, apparently.
“Whether or not they leave it to the states, we don’t know yet. But we’re looking forward to reading what they have to say.”
Though the national party will not file a brief, Republican officials from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee are still involved in the case.
President Obama’s Attorney General has already confirmed that a brief will be filed from the White House, urging the court to strike down the law.
The President said this week: “It’s time to recognize that under the equal protection clause of the United States [Constitution], same-sex couples should have the same rights as anybody else.”
