Speaker Boehner: House Republicans Will Not ‘Weigh In’ on SCOTUS Marriage Cases

Today, February 5, U.S. House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told The Washington Blade that he does not anticipate that House Republicans will take a position on the marriage cases in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Boehner said, " 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."

Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, released the following statement:

The House Republican leadership's commendable decision not to try to fight against the freedom to marry marks a real step forward from their recent no-holds-barred defense of marriage discrimination the last time we were before the Supreme Court, in 2013. Their evolution reflects the momentum for the freedom to marry nationwide, as well as the quiet hope of most Republican officials and operatives that the Supreme Court will rule in our favor and bring the country to national resolution, thereby rescuing them from their prior stance against the freedom to marry. They know their past pandering to part of their base is way out of step not only with a majority of the American people and independents, but with Republicans under 45 and even with young Evangelicals.

It’s not news the Republican Party is changing both its tune and position on the freedom to marry. A majority of Republicans under 45 support gay people marrying. GOP pollsters have declared the debate over. And instead of loudly beating the anti-gay drum, high profile leaders like Mitch McConnell and others are staying silent on the question, even during their tight midterm races last fall. Many prospective GOP candidates who are thinking about running for president are either calling for a big-tent respect for diverse views on marriage (Jeb Bush and Rand Paul) or are acknowledging the issue as “the law of the land" (Scott Walker).