More Senate Democrats Abandon Same-Sex Marriage Opposition
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Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Two more Senate Democrats have flipped on the issue of same-sex marriage.
On Friday, Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D- N.D., announced that they had changed their position and endorsed same-sex marriage.
This leaves only four Senate Democrats who have not endorsed marriage equality.
“With the recent Supreme Court arguments and accompanying public discussion of same-sex marriage, I have been thinking about my past positions and votes,” Donnelly wrote on his Facebook page Friday morning. “In doing so, I have concluded that the right thing to do is to support marriage equality for all.”
“In speaking with North Dakotans from every corner of our great state, and much personal reflection, I have concluded the federal government should no longer discriminate against people who want to make lifelong, loving commitments to each other or interfere in personal, private, and intimate relationships,” Heitkamp said in a statement Friday. “I view the ability of anyone to marry as a logical extension of this belief. The makeup of families is changing, but the importance of family is enduring.”
This marks the 11th Senate Democrat since last week to embrace same-sex marriage. The four Democratic senators still opposed are Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Mark Pryor of Arkansas and Tim Johnson of South Dakota.
Two Republican senators have endorsed same-sex marriage: Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio and Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois.
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