GOP support for same-sex marriage bill reflects a shift among Republican voters

 https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/gop-support-sex-marriage-bill-reflects-shift-republican-voters-rcna39089

Dozens of House Republicans voted with Democrats on Tuesday to codify same-sex marriage into federal law, breaking with the party’s longstanding position that marriage remains between one man and one woman.

Forty-seven Republicans across 21 different states joined a unanimous Democratic caucus in supporting the legislation, the Respect for Marriage Act, by a vote of 267-157, including Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, the No. 3 Republican in the House; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming; and Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, who is the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. The measure would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996, enshrine legal same-sex marriage for the purposes of federal law and bolster legal protections for same-sex married couples.

The move is a turning point for Republican lawmakers who have spent decades opposing the legalization of same-sex marriage and broader LGBTQ rights. It does, however, coincide with the country’s soaring support for marriage equality, which as of last year included a majority of Republican voters.