The Senate on Wednesday advanced the “Respect for Marriage Act” in a 62-37 vote, with 12 Republicans joining all Democrats in ending a filibuster and moving the bill forward. Final passage of the bill is expected next week.
CatholicVote’s Catholic Accountability Project team noted the number of Catholic politicians who supported the bill, including three Catholic Republicans and all 15 Democrats who claim to be Catholic. Those names are below.
| State | Name | Party | Diocese | Bishop |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK | Sen. Dan Sullivan | R | Anchorage | Bellisario |
| AK | Sen. Lisa Murkowski | R | Anchorage | Bellisario |
| AZ | Sen. Mark Kelly | D | Tuscon | Weisenburger |
| CA | Sen. Alex Padilla | D | Los Angeles | Gomez |
| IL | Sen. Dick Durbin | D | Springfield | Paprocki |
| MA | Sen. Ed Markey | D | Boston | O'Malley |
| ME | Sen. Susan Collins | R | Portland | Deeley |
| NJ | Sen. Bob Menendez | D | Newark | Tobin |
| NM | Sen. Ben Ray Lujan | D | Santa Fe | Wester |
| NV | Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto | D | Las Vegas | Thomas |
| NY | Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand | D | Albany | Scharfenberger |
| PA | Sen. Bob Casey | D | Scranton | Bambera |
| RI | Sen. Jack Reed | D | Providence | Tobin |
| VA | Sen. Tim Kaine | D | Richmond | Knestout |
| VT | Sen. Patrick Leahy | D | Burlington | Coyne |
| WA | Sen. Maria Cantwell | D | Seattle | Etienne |
| WA | Sen. Patty Murray | D | Seattle | Etienne |
| WV | Sen. Joe Manchin | D | Wheeling-Charleston | Brennan |
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Voting in favor of redefine marriage is clearly in conflict with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Canon 915 states “Those upon whom the penalty of excommunication or interdict has been imposed or declared, and others who obstinately persist in manifest grave sin, are not to be admitted to Holy Communion.” Catholic Senators who supported this measure cannot be allowed to receive the Eucharist. Doing so would be “objectively sacrilegious” and create “grave scandal.”