Lindsey Graham: Trying To Amend Constitution On Gay Marriage Would Hurt GOP

Lindsey Graham: Trying To Amend Constitution On Gay Marriage Would Hurt GOP

Pushing for a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage would not only fail, but also hurt the Republican Party, 2016 presidential candidate and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) said Sunday.

"You can put it in the [GOP] platform, but it will, in my view, hurt us in 2016, because it's a process that's not going to bear fruit," Graham said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

The Supreme Court ruled against same-sex marriage bans on Friday, and many Republicans have dug in their heels and said they won't support marriage equality even if the highest court says it's a right. Some have said now is the time for a constitutional amendment that would supersede the Supreme Court's ruling.

Other Republicans have said it's time to drop the issue, since opposition to gay marriage is becoming steadily less popular with voters.

That would make it highly unlikely that a constitutional amendment could be approved, as Graham noted.

"I don't believe there is any chance for a constitutional amendment defining marriage between one man and one woman to get a two-thirds vote in the House or the Senate and be ratified by three-fourths of the states," he said.

Graham made similar statements after the court's ruling on Friday, saying he still believed "the people of each state should have the right to determine their marriage laws," but that he sees a constitutional amendment as "a divisive effort that would be doomed to fail."

"While we all have differences, it is time for us to move forward together respectfully and as one people," he said in that statement.

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