Hoping to break the trend of awkward or forgettable State of the Union responses, Republicans have selected Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers to counter President Obama’s annual address tonight.

As a top lieutenant to Speaker John Boehner who generally steers clear of controversy, McMorris Rodgers could seem like a logical choice to try and represent the more welcoming GOP that party leaders called for after the 2012 election. However, a brief review of her record indicates that McMorris Rodgers is no less extreme than many of her Tea Party colleagues. In fact, on several key issues, McMorris Rodgers is closely aligned with Tea Party responder Sen. Mike Lee.

Both McMorris Rodgers and Lee oppose increases in the minimum wage, support deep cuts to food stamps, and have voted against unemployment benefits. McMorris Rodgers has opposed equal pay for women and supported several attempts to restrict women’s health care choices – including notorious legislation that would have redefined rape as “forcible rape” – while Lee believes the Violence Against Women Act is unconstitutional.

On immigration, McMorris Rodgers publicly supports reform, but she has voted for multiple bills introduced by anti-immigrant hardliner Rep. Steve King. Meanwhile, Lee pulled out of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight” negotiations over the inclusion of a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. And, in the face of strong momentum for marriage equality, both McMorris Rodgers and Lee sponsored a bill allowing federal workers and recipients of federal money to discriminate against LGBT couples.

Finally, while Lee is best known for driving the right-wing strategy behind the government shutdown along with Sen. Ted Cruz, McMorris Rodgers explicitly threatened to close the government’s doors in January 2013 “to make sure President Obama knows that we’re serious.”

Republican leaders may want the American people to view McMorris Rodgers, and not Lee, as the face of the party’s future. But as long as “mainstream” Republicans are pushing the same right-wing agenda that Americans have rejected, it doesn’t really make a difference.

Economic Opportunity And Inequality

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers

In 2007, Rep. McMorris Rodgers Voted Against Bipartisan Bill To Raise The Minimum Wage. According to the House Clerk’s website, the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 passed the House with “Aye” votes from 82 Republicans and 233 Democrats. According to the Senate’s website, the bill passed the Senate with “Aye” votes from 44 Republicans and 48 Democrats and 2 Independents. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) voted “No.” [H.R. 2, House Vote #18, 1/10/07; H.R. 2, Senate Vote #42, 2/1/07]

Rep. McMorris Rodgers Voted To Cut Food Stamp Funding By $40 Billion Over A Decade. According to the New York Times, “House Republicans narrowly pushed through a bill on Thursday that slashes billions of dollars from the food stamp program, over the objections of Democrats and a veto threat from President Obama. […] The bill, written under the direction of the House majority leader, Eric Cantor, Republican of Virginia, would cut $40 billion from the food stamp program over the next 10 years. It would also require adults between 18 and 50 without minor children to find a job or to enroll in a work-training program in order to receive benefits. It would also limit the time those recipients could get benefits to three months.” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers voted “yea.” [New York Times, 9/19/13; H.R. 3102, Vote #476, 9/19/13]

In 2010, Rep. McMorris Rodgers Voted Against Unemployment Benefits. According to Politico, “The House failed to pass a three-month extension of jobless benefits Thursday, 258-154, meaning that millions of unemployed Americans could lose their benefits in the coming weeks. The legislation, which required a two-thirds majority because it was moved on the suspension calendar, would have extended the filing deadline for federal benefits to Feb. 28. Without the extension, benefits are set to expire Nov. 30. With only 258 ‘yays,’ the House fell short the 275 vote threshold needed for approval. […]The last unemployment package, a 6-month extension carrying a price tag of $34 billion, cleared Congress in July, though it faced significant scrutiny from more deficit-conscious members. The measure that failed Thursday would have cost the government $12.5 billion.” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers voted “nay” on the bill. [Politico, 11/18/10; H.R. 6419, Vote #579, 11/18/10]

• Rep. McMorris Rodgers Also Voted Against Extension Of Unemployment Benefits In July 2010. According to the New York Times, “The House approved legislation on Thursday that would restore unemployment pay for millions of Americans who have exhausted their standard benefits. The bill was sent to President Obama for his signature, and administration officials said Mr. Obama would sign it immediately. […] The vote in the House was 272 to 152, with 31 Republicans joining 241 Democrats in supporting the measure. Voting against were 142 Republicans and 10 Democrats.” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers voted “nay” on the bill. [New York Times, 7/22/10; H.R. 4213, Vote #463, 7/22/10]

Rep. McMorris Rodgers Has Voted For Rep. Paul Ryan’s Budget Plan Every Year Since 2011. [H. Con. Res. 25, Vote #88, 3/21/13; H. Con. Res. 112, Vote # 151, 3/29/12; H. Con Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11]

Sen. Mike Lee

Sen. Lee On The Minimum Wage: “It Can Sound Nice, To Say ‘Yeah Everybody Gets A Raise’ But Really What You’re Doing Is You’re Making It Harder For People To Hire And Harder For People To Get Jobs.” In an interview with Tim Constantine for the Capitol Hill Show, Sen. Mike Lee stated, “If we increase the minimum wage a lot of people will lose jobs. If we increase the minimum wage we’ll be increasing the impact of inflation, If we increase the minimum wage we’ll be making things more difficult and more expensive for those least able to absorb and afford it. So it can sound nice, to say ‘yeah everybody gets a raise’ but really what you’re doing is you’re making it harder for people to hire and harder for people to get jobs.” [YouTube, 1/7/14]

Sen. Lee Voted Against “Extending Jobless Benefits For The Long-Term Unemployed.” According to the Wall Street Journal, “Efforts to reach a bipartisan deal extending emergency jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed collapsed in the Senate on Tuesday, ending at least for now a push by Democrats to revive a program that started during the financial crisis. Lawmakers had been working for weeks to restore benefits that expired on Dec. 28, but progress ground to a halt as tensions rose between Republicans and Democrats over the control of Senate votes, a politically sensitive procedural issue that often flares in election years. After more than a week of talks, lawmakers failed to reach agreement to revive benefits for the roughly 1.4 million people who have lost aid since last month. […] A key vote to end debate on the measure failed in a largely party-line 55-45 vote. Republican Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada voted with Democrats to advance the bill, while Mr. Reid voted no for procedural reasons that would enable him to bring the bill to the floor in the future. The measure needed 60 votes to advance.” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) voted “Nay” on a motion to invoke cloture on S. 1845, the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Extension Act. [Wall Street Journal, 1/14/14; S. 1845, Senate Vote #10, 1/14/14]

• Sen. Lee On Unemployment Benefits: “Government Creates These Poverty Traps That Really Disincentivize People Going And Getting A Job.” In an interview with Tim Constantine for the Capitol Hill Show, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) stated, “What we want is to make poverty a temporary thing or joblessness to be a temporary thing. It becomes less temporary when government steps in and government creates these poverty traps that really disincentivize people going and getting a job. Without your first job, you’re never going to get your second job, or your fist or your second promotion. And so any time we disincentivize job seeking and job creating behavior, we’re hurting the poor and the middle class.” [YouTube, 1/7/14]

Sen. Lee Voted To Cut Food Stamp Funding By $3.5 Billion Per Year. According to Senate.gov, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) voted “Yea” on S.Amdt. 948 to S. 954, the Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013. According to the Associated Press, “The amendment by Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., would have expanded the cuts [to the food stamp program] to $3.5 billion a year; the amendment by Sen. Kristen Gillibrand, D-N.Y., would have eliminated the cuts.” [S.Amdt. 948 to S. 954, Senate Vote #130, 5/21/13; Associated Press, 5/21/13]

Sen. Lee Opposed The Ryan Budget Because It Did Not Go Far Enough. According to the Huffington Post, “The Senate has soundly rejected a balanced budget plan authored by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan.Five Republicans joined every Democrat present to kill the measure, which failed on a 40-59 vote. The GOP’s most ardent tea partyers – Rand Paul of Kentucky, Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah – opposed the measure, which projects a balanced budget in a decade but relies on $600 billion-plus in tax revenues on the wealthy enacted in January to do it. Susan Collins of Maine and Dean Heller of Nevada also opposed the Ryan plan, which cuts sharply from safety net programs for the poor and contains a plan to turn the Medicare program for the elderly into a voucher-like system for future beneficiaries born in 1959 or later.” [Huffington Post, 3/22/13]

Women’s Issues

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Rep. McMorris Rodgers Cosponsored Bill Allowing Hospitals To Refuse To Provide Abortions To Women Even In Life-Threatening Situations. According to the Huffington Post, “The House is scheduled to vote this week on a new bill that would allow federally-funded hospitals that oppose abortions to refuse to perform the procedure, even in cases where a woman would die without it. Under current law, every hospital that receives Medicare or Medicaid money is legally required to provide emergency care to any patient in need, regardless of his or her financial situation. If a hospital is unable to provide what the patient needs — including a life-saving abortion — it has to transfer the patient to a hospital that can. Under H.R. 358, dubbed the ‘Protect Life Act’ and sponsored by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.), hospitals that don’t want to provide abortions could refuse to do so, even for a pregnant woman with a life-threatening complication that requires a doctor terminate her pregnancy.” Rep. McMorris Rodgers cosponsored the bill. [Huffington Post, 10/11/11; H.R. 358, introduced 1/20/11]

Rep. McMorris Rodgers Voted To Defund Planned Parenthood. According to Politico, “The House just approved Rep. Mike Pence’s amendment to cut off funding to Planned Parenthood, checking off a hot-button social issue even as it set up a bigger showdown over defunding the health care law. The vote was 240-185 with 11 Democrats voting for the amendment, and seven Republicans voting against. One member voted present. A group of Republicans on the floor applauded when the vote hit 218.” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) voted “Aye” on the Pence Amendment.  [Politico, 2/18/11; H. AMDT. 95 to H.R. 1, Vote #93, 2/18/11]

Rep. McMorris Rodgers Supported Bill That Narrowed Definition Of Rape To “Forcible Rape.” According to the Washington Post, “A Republican bill seeking to permanently cut off federal funding for abortions has angered women’s groups that say it alters the definition of rape, permitting coverage for the procedure only in cases in which the rape is considered “forcible.” The bill, called the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions Act, would make permanent several provisions that have been law for years but require annual renewal by Congress. It is a top priority of Republican leaders who took control of the House after the November elections. The most well-known provision that would become permanent under the bill is the Hyde Amendment, which prevents some federally funded health-care programs from covering abortions. For years, it has allowed exemptions in cases of rape and incest, and when the life of the woman is threatened. Under the proposed language, however, rape becomes ‘forcible rape.’” Critics say the modifier could distinguish it from other kinds of sexual assault that are typically recognized as rape, including statutory rape and attacks that occur because of drugs or verbal threats.” According to Congress.gov, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers cosponsored the bill on January 20, 2011, the day on which it was introduced. [Washington Post, 2/1/11; Congress.gov, accessed 1/27/14]

Rep. McMorris Rodgers Co-Sponsored A Bill That Would Have Required Women To Undergo An Ultrasound Procedure Before Having An Abortion. According to Congress.gov, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) was among 75 House members who cosponsored H.R.649, the Ultrasound Informed Consent Act. The act would have required “abortion providers, before a woman gives informed consent to any part of an abortion, to perform an obstetric ultrasound on the pregnant woman, explain the results, display the ultrasound images so the woman may view them, and provide a medical description of the ultrasound images, including the dimensions of the embryo or fetus and the presence of external members and internal organs, if present and viewable.” [H.R. 649, introduced 1/22/09]

• Rep. McMorris Rodgers On Ultrasounds: “I Think That’s Having An Impact On Society And That People Are Asking Themselves The Question, ‘When Does Life Begin?’” According to the Weekly Standard, “As for McMorris Rodgers, her strategy going forward is to focus on reminding people of the value that every person has. ‘I’ve long thought that we need to reach people’s hearts on this issue,’ she said, pointing to the effect ultrasound technology has had on parents, who now can see their children before they’re born. ‘I think that’s having an impact on society and that people are asking themselves the question, when does life begin?’” [Weekly Standard, 4/27/09]

Rep. McMorris Rodgers Voted Against The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. According to CNN, “The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill that would make suing for pay discrimination easier by altering a time limit on such suits. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which passed 250-177, would give workers alleging unequal pay the right to sue within 180 days of their most recent paycheck. Current law says such employees must sue within 180 days of receiving their first unfair paycheck. Supporters of the new legislation say that, under the current law, an employer merely needs to hide unfair pay practices for three months before being able to continue them without penalty.” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. [CNN.com, 1/27/09 H.R. 11, Vote #9, 1/27/09]

Rep. McMorris Rodgers Voted Against The Paycheck Fairness Act. According to the Huffington Post, “Among other provisions, the Paycheck Fairness Act, which has already passed the House, would ensure that a law already on the books — the Equal Pay Act of 1963 — is properly enforced. It would also make sure that women aren’t punished for seeking out information about what their male colleagues are earning in order to ensure they are being paid properly.” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) voted “No” on the Paycheck Fairness Act. [H.R. 12, Vote #8, 1/9/09]

• Seattle Times: Rep. McMorris Rodgers “Contends The Pay Gap Between Men And Women Disappears When Adjusted For Education And Experience.” According to the Seattle Times, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) “voted against the original Lilly Ledbetter act, and contends the pay gap between men and women disappears when adjusted for education and experience.” [Seattle Times, 1/27/14]

Sen. Mike Lee

In 2013, Sen. Lee Voted Against Bipartisan Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization. According to the Huffington Post, “The Senate easily passed its Violence Against Women Act reauthorization bill on Tuesday, officially punting the issue to the House, where Republican leaders still haven’t signaled how they plan to proceed. The bill passed 78 to 22. It already had 62 cosponsors, which ensured its passage, but it picked up additional support from a handful of Republicans.” Sen. Mike Lee voted “Nay.” [S. 47, Vote # 19, 2/12/13]

In 2012, Sen. Lee Voted Against Bipartisan Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization. According to CBS News, “In a rare election-year moment of bipartisanship, the Senate passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) on Thursday afternoon, legislation that gives women protections and recourse against violence and abuse. The bill passed with bipartisan support by a vote of 68 – 31. The vote was to reauthorize the measure, which first passed in 1994 and is credited with a 51 percent increase of victims reporting domestic abuse, for five years. VAWA provides services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. It also locks in money for testing roughly 400,000 rape kits that, according to Human Rights Watch, have gone untested.” Sen. Mike Lee voted “Nay.” [CBSNews.com, 4/26/12; S. 1925, Vote #87, 4/26/12]

• Sen. Mike Lee: The Violence Against Women Act Is Unconstitutional. According to remarks by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) on the Senate floor, “The Violence Against Women Act reauthorization had the honorable goal of assisting victims of domestic violence, but it oversteps the Constitution’s rightful limits on federal power. It interferes with the flexibility of states and localities that they should have in tailoring programs to meet particular needs of individual communities, and it fails to address problems of duplication and inefficiency. First, violent crimes are regulated and enforced almost exclusively by state governments. In fact, domestic violence is one of the few activities that the Supreme Court of the United States has specifically said Congress may not regulate under the Commerce Clause. As a matter of constitutional policy, Congress should not seek to impose rules and standards as conditions for federal funding in areas where the federal government lacks constitutional authority to regulate directly.” [Lee Floor Remarks via ThinkProgress, 4/26/12]

Sen. Lee Attached DC Abortion Ban To Cybersecurity Legislation. According to the Associated Press, “A Republican senator from Utah has attached an amendment to a cybersecurity bill in an attempt to ban abortions in the District of Columbia after 20 weeks of pregnancy. The move by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, follows Tuesday night’s defeat of the abortion bill in the House. While the Republican-led House voted in favor of the bill, it was considered under special rules that require a two-thirds majority. Lee had previously introduced the abortion measure as a standalone bill, but it faced bleak prospects in the Democratic-controlled Senate. The legislation is based on the disputed claim that fetuses can feel pain after 20 weeks’ gestation and is a top priority of anti-abortion groups.” [Associated Press, 8/1/12]

Immigration

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Rep. McMorris Rodgers Voted For Rep. Steve King’s Amendment To End Policies Allowing DHS To “Delay Deportations For Young, Undocumented Immigrants And Other People Deemed Low-Priority.” According to the Huffington Post, “The House voted 224-201 on Thursday to end Department of Homeland Security discretion policies that allow it to delay deportations for young, undocumented immigrants and other people deemed low-priority, effectively demanding the government force out Dreamers who came to the United States as children. The amendment, offered by immigration hawk Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), was approved mostly along party lines. […] It contrasts with comprehensive immigration reform efforts, which would likely grant a path to citizenship to the same people being granted deportation relief under prosecutorial discretion.” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) voted “Aye” on the amendment. [Huffington Post, 6/6/13; H.R. 2217, Vote #207, 6/6/13]

• Rep. Steve King: “My Amendment Blocks Many Of The Provisions That Are Mirrored In The Senate’s ‘Gang Of Eight’ Bill…If This Position Holds, No Amnesty Will Reach The President’s Desk.” According to the Huffington Post, “Immigration hard-liner Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who offered the amendment, celebrated Thursday, saying his amendment would prohibit the Obama administration from implementing ‘executive amnesty.’ He also warned that the passage of the amendment is ‘the first test of the 113th Congress in the House of Representatives on immigration. ‘My amendment blocks many of the provisions that are mirrored in the Senate’s ‘Gang of Eight’ bill,’ King said in a statement. ‘If this position holds, no amnesty will reach the president’s desk.’” [Huffington Post, 6/8/13]

Rep. McMorris Rodgers Cosponsored Rep. Steve King’s “English Language Unity Act Of 2011.” Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) was one of 122 cosponsors of the “English Language Unity Act of 2011,” which was introduced by Rep. Steve King (R-IA). The bill “Makes English the official language of the United States” and “Requires, subject to exceptions and rules of construction, that: (1) official functions of the United States be conducted in English; and (2) all naturalization ceremonies be conducted in English. Establishes a uniform English language rule for naturalization.” [H.R. 997, introduced 3/10/11]

Sen. Mike Lee

Sen. Lee Quit Bipartisan “Gang Of Eight” Negotiations On Immigration Reform “Because He Disagrees With The Proposed Path To Citizenship.” According to the Washington Post, “Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) was involved in bipartisan negotiations over immigration reform early in the discussions. But he wasn’t in the group that unveiled the proposal Monday. Why not? He disagrees with the proposed path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. ‘These guidelines contemplate a policy that will grant special benefits to illegal immigrants based on their unlawful presence in the country. Reforms to our complex and dysfunctional immigration system should not in any way favor those who came here illegally over the millions of applicants who seek to come here lawfully,’ Lee said in a statement. ‘Additionally, the framework carves out a special exception for agricultural workers that has little justification.’” [Washington Post, 1/28/13]

• Sen. Lee Withdrew From Negotiations And Called The Bipartisan Proposal “An Immigration Version Of Obamacare.” According to Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), in an op-ed for the Deseret News, “Like the president’s health care law, the ‘gang’ bill was negotiated in secret by insiders and special interests, who then essentially offered it to Congress as a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. It grants broad new powers to the same executive branch that today is mired in scandal for incompetence and abuse of power. Total cost estimates are in the trillions. And rather than fix our current immigration problems, the bill makes many of them worse. However well-intentioned, the ‘Gang of Eight’ bill is just an immigration version of Obamacare.” [Deseret News, 6/9/13]

Sen. Mike Introduced An Amendment Giving Border Patrols Exemption From Federal Environmental Protections Because The Restrictions “Get In Their Way” And Often Illegal Immigrants Leave “A Trail Of Litter.” According to the Huffington Post, “Sen. Mike Lee offered an amendment Thursday to let border patrols skirt federal environmental protections, arguing they need leeway to go after people crossing in remote areas because it’s dangerous and they leave ‘a trail of litter.’ ‘We have a problem when [border] agents can’t adequately enforce the law, can’t adequately enforce the border … simply because of the fact today the land is federally owned and environmental restrictions get in their way,’ Lee said. ‘The net result of this is not environmental protection, because as we’ve seen in many of these areas because coyotes and others who bring people illegally across the border are well aware of these restrictions,’ Lee said. ‘They’ll make sure illegal immigrants come across these same tracts of land in order to get into the United States illegally. And they leave in their wake in some cases a trail of destruction, or at least a trail of litter.’” [Huffington Post, 6/20/13]

LGBT

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Rep. McMorris Rodgers Is A Cosponor Of Anti-LGBT “Marriage And Religious Freedom Act.” According to Congress.gov, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) is among 96 House members who are co-sponsors of H.R.3133, the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act, which “Prohibits the federal government from taking an adverse action against a person on the basis that such person acts in accordance with a religious belief that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.” [Congress.gov, accessed 1/27/14]

• Marriage And Religious Freedom Act “Permits Federal Workers, As Well As Recipients Of Federal Grants And Contracts, To Refuse To Serve Married Same-Sex Couples Based On Their Personal Religious Beliefs About Marriage.” According to the Human Rights Campaign, the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act “permits federal workers, as well as recipients of federal grants and contracts, to refuse to serve married same-sex couples based on their personal religious beliefs about marriage. […] For example, if passed, the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act would permit a federal worker processing tax returns, approving visa applications or reviewing Social Security applications to walk away from their responsibilities whenever a same-sex couple’s paperwork appeared on his or her desk.  It would also allow a federally-funded homeless shelter or substance abuse treatment program to turn away LGBT people.” [HRC.org, 9/19/13]

In 2013, The House Republican Conference, Chaired By McMorris Rodgers, Issued A Rules Package Stating The House Would Continue To Defend The Defense Of Marriage Act. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, “The Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, so anxious to cut spending, has quietly raised to $3 million the legal fees of House-picked lawyers who are defending in federal court the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act. […] The continued legal defense of DOMA was hidden on page 17 of a 23-page package of rules governing House operations, which was adopted when Congress convened on Jan. 3. […] The rules package was drawn up by the House Republican Conference.  Its chairman — they still use the term — is Rep. Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, R-Washington, whose state (but not her Eastern Washington district) was voting in November to approve marriage equality.” [Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 1/15/13]

Seattle Times: Rep. McMorris Rodgers Dismissed Adding Protections For Gays and Lesbians Under The Violence Against Women Act As A “Political Stunt.” According to the Seattle Times, “McMorris Rodgers has dismissed the proposal to add gays and lesbians under the Violence Against Women Act as a ‘political stunt’ by Democrats.” [Seattle Times, 8/25/12]

In 2006, Rep. McMorris Rodgers Co-Sponsored A Constitutional Amendment To Ban Same-Sex Marriage. According to Congress.gov, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers was among 134 House members who co-sponsored H.J.Res.88, the Marriage Protection Amendment. The amendment would have declared that “(1) marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman; and (2) neither the U.S. Constitution nor the constitution of any state shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents of marriage be conferred upon any other union.” [H.J.Res.88, introduced 6/6/06]

Sen. Mike Lee

Sen. Mike Introduced Senate Version Of Anti-LGBT “Marriage And Religious Freedom Act.” According to Congress.gov, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced S. 1808, the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act, which “Prohibits the federal government from taking an adverse action against a person on the basis that such person acts in accordance with a religious belief that: (1) marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman, or (2) sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage.” [Congress.gov, accessed 1/27/14]

• Marriage And Religious Freedom Act “Permits Federal Workers, As Well As Recipients Of Federal Grants And Contracts, To Refuse To Serve Married Same-Sex Couples Based On Their Personal Religious Beliefs About Marriage.” According to the Human Rights Campaign, the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act “permits federal workers, as well as recipients of federal grants and contracts, to refuse to serve married same-sex couples based on their personal religious beliefs about marriage. […] For example, if passed, the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act would permit a federal worker processing tax returns, approving visa applications or reviewing Social Security applications to walk away from their responsibilities whenever a same-sex couple’s paperwork appeared on his or her desk.  It would also allow a federally-funded homeless shelter or substance abuse treatment program to turn away LGBT people.” [HRC.org, 9/19/13]

Sen. Lee Agreed That It Should Be Legal To “Fire Someone Just Because They’re Gay.” In an interview with ThinkProgress, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) was asked, “What’s your take, do you think it should be legal to fire someone just because they’re gay or transgender, or do you think that’s not in the purview of the Constiution?” Lee said, “Whether it should be a federal crime, specific to federal law? No.” When asked, “Is there any difference between firing someone for being gay rather than firing someone because of their race?” Lee answered, “Yes, yes. The 14th Amendment — in fact the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments — were adopted specifically around the race issue. So, yeah, there is a difference.” [ThinkProgress, 2/10/12]

Government Shutdown

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Rep. McMorris Rodgers In January 2013: “I Think It Is Possible That We Would Shut Down The Government [Over The Debt Limit] To Make Sure President Obama Understands That We’re Serious.” According to Politico, “The idea of allowing the country to default by refusing to increase the debt limit is getting more widespread and serious traction among House Republicans than people realize, though GOP leaders think shutting down the government is the much more likely outcome of the spending fights this winter. […] ‘I think it is possible that we would shut down the government to make sure President Obama understands that we’re serious,’ House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington state told us. ‘We always talk about whether or not we’re going to kick the can down the road. I think the mood is that we’ve come to the end of the road.’” [Politico.com, 1/13/13]

• Rep. McMorris Rodgers Blamed President Obama And Democrats For Shutdown. According to the Seattle Times, “Of President Obama’s many Republican critics in the House of Representatives, few can match Spokane’s Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in fervor. McMorris Rodgers, one of Speaker John Boehner’s top lieutenants, claims it’s Obama and members of his party, not Republicans, who are blocking efforts to end the government shutdown. She slams Democrats for resorting to ‘incendiary and unconstructive’ rhetoric, including likening the GOP to ‘legislative arsonists’ and gun-wielding extortionists. She warned (and later retracted) that Obamacare jacked up insurance premiums by $7,500, sending families into panic. Even in McMorris Rodgers’ conservative Eastern Washington district, however, her fiery partisanship can go too far. Thursday’s editorial in The Spokesman-Review, the 5th District’s largest daily, urged McMorris Rodgers and her fellow Republicans to halt their ‘demands for ransom.’” [Seattle Times, 10/3/13]

Sen. Mike Lee

Sen. Lee Was The “Leader Behind The Defund Obamacare Movement” That Led To The Government Shutdown. According to Time Magazine, “But Mike Lee is—and Cruz is not—the understated, policy-oriented leader behind the Defund Obamacare movement, according to several conservative leaders who spoke to TIME. He’s also one of the biggest hammers driving the wedge in the national Republican party to establishment and moderate Republicans. And to supporters of the health care law, like Majority Leader Harry Reid, he’s ‘living in a dreamland’ Given Lee’s influence on Defund Obamacare, and the resulting government shutdown, he is also a person whose national stature may soon rise to match his influence.” [Time, 10/22/13]

Sen. Lee Called For Government Shutdown In July 2013: “This Is The Last Stop Before Obamacare Fully Kicks In…For Us To Refuse To Fund It.” According to Politico, “There is growing support among Republicans for a plan to shut down the government to block funding for Obamacare, Sen. Mike Lee said Monday. ‘Right now, this is the last stop before Obamacare fully kicks in on Jan. 1 of next year, for us to refuse to fund it,’ Lee said on Fox News ‘Fox and Friends.’ Lee said he has 13 or 14 senators with him on the issue and added that there is a parallel effort in the House. ‘Congress, of course, has to pass a law to continue funding government,’ he said. ‘Lately, we’ve been doing that through a funding mechanism called a continuing resolution. If Republicans in both houses simply refuse to vote for any continuing resolution that contains further funding for further enforcement of Obamacare, we can stop it, we can stop the individual mandate from going into effect.’” [Politico, 7/22/13]