Republican National Committee to Vote on Resolution Affirming Gay Marriage Stance
Members of the Republican National Committee will gather in Los Angeles on Friday for their spring meeting and vote on a resolution to continue their opposition to same-sex marriage.
The resolution is expected to pass by an overwhelming majority, according to Politico. Although the conservative party has seen some dissidents, predominant GOP leaders still believe that marriage should be defined as being between one man and one woman.
A copy of the "Resolution for Marriage and Children 2013" bears a striking similarity to the 2012 Republican Party's platform regarding same-sex marriage.
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The resolution states that, among other things, "the Republican National Committee affirms its support for marriage as the union of one man and one woman and as the optimum environment in which to raise healthy children for the future of America."
The resolution also encourages members of the committee to implore "the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the sanctity of marriage in its rulings on California's Proposition 8 and the Federal Defense of Marriage Act."
The RNC is reportedly holding Friday's resolution vote in response to the recent "autopsy" report released by the committee, which sought to dissect what went wrong for the Republican Party during the 2012 presidential election.
The 100-page report suggested that the party adopt a more "inclusive" tone regarding social issues, such as same-sex marriage, in order to attract the vote of younger generations.
Although some Republicans found fault with the diction of the report, arguing that it hinted the GOP should change its stance on same-sex marriage, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus confirmed that the party does not intend to change its platform regarding the issue.
"To be clear, our principles our sound, our principles are not old rusty thoughts in some book," Priebus said after unveiling the report, as reported by ABC News.
"I think our policies are sound, but I think in many ways the way we communicate can be a real problem," the chair added.
In preparation for the RNC Spring Convention, this week several conservative leaders signed a letter addressed to chairman Priebus urging him and the RNC to maintain their stance on social issues.
"We respectfully warn GOP Leadership that an abandonment of its principles will necessarily result in the abandonment of our constituents to their support," the letter, which was provided to and verified by NBC News, warned.
Recently, two GOP senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mark Kirk of Illinois, both voiced their support for same-sex marriage.
The Supreme Court is currently deciding on two cases relating to same-sex marriage, California's ban on same-sex marriage and the Defense of Marriage Act.
The RNC's Spring Convention began Thursday at the Lowe's Hotel in Hollywood, Calif., and will conclude on Saturday.
