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FACT BRIEF

Did Ron Johnson vote against the Respect for Marriage Act?

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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YES

On Nov. 16, 2022 Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin voted against a procedural motion to advance the Respect for Marriage Act — a bill that would codify same-sex marriage equality nationwide.

"The Respect for Marriage Act is unnecessary," Johnson said in a statement, asserting the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage is "settled law and has no chance of being overturned." 

Johnson also said the bill in its current form — authored by Wisconsin Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin — "did not provide sufficient protection for those with strongly held religious beliefs."

Twelve Senate Republicans voted for the measure, advancing it to a final vote.

In July, the U.S. House passed the measure, with Wisconsin Democrats Mark Pocan, Ron Kind and Gwen Moore and Republican Bryan Steil voting yes, and Wisconsin Republicans Scott Fitzgerald, Mike Gallagher, Glenn Grothman and Tom Tiffany voting no.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Ron Johnson Senator from Wisconsin Sen. Johnson releases statement on Respect for Marriage Act
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Ron Johnson opposes bill to codify same-sex marriage, despite attempt to address concerns over religious freedoms
Human Rights Campaign Respect For Marriage Act press release
US House of Representatives Roll call on House vote on Respect for Marriage Act
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.