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data-activy-map="social-share-lks-article-top" data-ttid="social-share-menu"><li data-ttid="social-share-facebook" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_facebook__bOW_X"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-facebook"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-twter" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_twter__ww7sF"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-ptert" class="styl_em__b5A78 styl_ptert__CaMm1"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-ptert"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-email" class="styl_em__b5A78"><a href="mailto:?subject=The Senate's fight over same-sex marriage may hge on Wisns's senators, who don't agree on much& target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="styl_lk__RsJVU"><span class="in in-share-email"></span></a></li><li data-ttid="social-share-py" 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class="article-le-byle" data-activy-map="le-byle-article-top">By <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Stt Wong</a></span> and <span class="byle-name">Frank Thorp V</span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">The Senate ph to enshre feral protectns for same-sex marriage has land Wisns’s two senators — liberal Tammy Baldw, the first openly gay senator history, and nservative Ron Johnson, who fac a tough re-electn bid this fall and has waffled on the issue — the spotlight.</p><p class="">There was a pot months ago when appeared the two — who typilly shun the media — uld agree on somethg else, too, when Johnson left the door open to supportg Baldw’s same-sex marriage legislatn.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">But sce then, what's been a challengg relatnship has grown all the more ght — even as Baldw remas optimistic that she n ultimately get him on board. And terviews wh both senators show a stra.</p><p class="">Asked how she would characterize her relatnship wh Johnson, Baldw gave a bare-bon scriptn. “We’re both senators om Wisns and there’s thgs we need to get done, but anyways — that’s all," she said as she end the terview.</p><p class="">Baldw has been leadg the legislative effort, teamg wh Sen. San Colls, R-Mae, to try to ensure that the Supreme Court don’t roll back the nstutnal rights to gay and terracial marriage, as did to <a href=" target="_blank">abortn rights</a> early this summer.</p><p class="">The bipartisan duo say they have drafted promise language to addrs ncerns om nservativ who have warned that the Rpect for Marriage Act uld ge on relig liberty or allow polygamo marriag. But the amendment hasn’t been unveiled yet or shared privately wh Senate lleagu. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">It’s a big reason a handful of Republins like Johnson are unwillg to say where they stand on the issue and why Baldw and Colls haven’t been able to nail down the 10 GOP vot they need to feat a promised filibter.</p><p class="">Baldw, 60, a former unty official, state legislator and U.S. Hoe member, has dited that she has secured at least five GOP vot, cludg those om members who have publicly stated that they support the bill, like Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carola and Rob Portman of Oh. Portman’s son is openly gay.</p><p class="">And Baldw believ a handful of others — cludg her Wisns seatmate, Johnson, 67 — are gettable. </p><p class="">“We’re still hopg,” she said. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">The issue has put Johnson, the most vulnerable Senate Republin this cycle, a tough spot his race agast progrsive Democratic Lt. Gov. Manla Barn, the first Black person to hold the job. More than 70% of Amerins back same-sex marriage, and polls have shown Barn wh a slight lead over Johnson, a Donald Tmp ally, even though he has the power of cumbency as he seeks a third six-year term.</p><p class="">“He’s a disgrace and don’t believe protectg our rights and eedoms. He’s unf for public office,” Barn <a href=">tweeted</a> rponse to a story last week that Johnson had flip-flopped on same-sex marriage.</p><p class="">The issue has also highlighted Baldw and Johnson’s chilly relatnship, which has only grown lr sce same-sex marriage me to the foreont the Senate. </p><p class="">Johnson, a nservative bomb thrower swept to the Senate the tea party wave of 2010, has acced Baldw of “leakg” to The <a href=">New York Tim</a> a text msage exchange between the two after he ially exprsed an openns to supportg her bill to protect same-sex marriage. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">He has sce said that he oppos the bill s current form and that the Supreme Court se legalizg same-sex marriage was “<a href=">wrongly cid</a>.” </p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">“She texted me one time, and then she leaked the text to The New York Tim, so that’s not a good way to al wh a fellow senator,” Johnson said Tuday. “It’s the first time somebody’s actually leaked my texts. … We’ve been rdial, but aga, I’ve never leaked texts between senators. It’s jt the improper thg to do.”</p><p class="">While the legislatn's backers haven’t secured the 10 vot, Majory Lear Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vows to prs forward on an issue that Democrats believe will give them a boost the g midterms. If Schumer fil cloture on the bill Thursday, would likely set up a key procral vote on the bill early next week at the 60-vote thrhold.</p><p class="">Baldw said has been “a while” sce she spoke to Johnson about the legislatn. But she said she thks he might be among the “y” vot when the bill to the floor. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">"I thk he will be. I thk he might be, given the number of thgs I’ve read and a number of the people who are reachg out” to Johnson, Baldw said the hallway terview. </p><p class="">She add that some supporters of the bill had been “assigned” to reach out to Johnson. She wouldn’t name nam: “I’m not gog to share that level of tail.”    </p><p class="">Colls said she hadn’t recently spoken wh Johnson, eher.</p><p class="">Neher Johnson nor Baldw urt the media the halls. The gff Johnson, who ran a plastic manufacturg bs before he arrived the Senate, has never appeared to enjoy sparrg wh reporters like some of his other GOP lleagu. Baldw is often scribed as pole and soft-spoken, and spe her history-makg electn 2012, she rarely seeks the limelight. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">The days, however, reporters have been houndg both about the same-sex marriage issue.</p><p class="">“I actually listen to nstuents,” Johnson said the terview. “There are some very legimate ncerns about relig liberty, and those ncerns would have to be properly addrsed.”</p><p class="">“I thk people are” workg on an amendment, he said, “but ’s got to provi very strong protectns.”</p><p class="">Colls, who has been tasked wh helpg to round up GOP support, said she’s also “hopeful” they n get to 10.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="endmark">“But as I said, you never know until the roll is lled.”</p><div class="expand-byle-ntributors articleByleContaer"><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><a href="><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></a></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Stt Wong</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Stt Wong is a senr ngrsnal reporter for NBC News. </p></div></div><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name">Frank Thorp V</span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Frank Thorp V is a producer and off-air reporter verg Congrs for NBC News, managg verage of the Senate.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body--right-rail-ntaer"><div class="article-body__right-rail 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tammy baldwin gay

The Senate ph to enshre feral protectns for same-sex marriage has land Wisns’s two senators — liberal Tammy Baldw, the first openly gay senator

Contents:

TAMMY BALDW, WHO IS GAY, NONTED MAR RUB ABOUT LLG SAME-SEX MARRIAGE VOTE A ‘STUPID WASTE OF TIME’

Amerins n still lose their jobs for beg gay. Baldw wants to change that. * tammy baldwin gay *

'Shocked': Gay senator nonted Rub as he lled bill 'stupid waste of time' elevator.

SEN. TAMMY BALDW, WHO IS GAY, SAYS SHE NONTED MAR RUB AN ELEVATOR AFTER HE SAID A SAME-SEX MARRIAGE VOTE WAS A 'STUPID WASTE OF TIME'

* tammy baldwin gay *

Tammy Baldw, the Wisns Democrat who is also the first known gay polician elected to the US Senate. "I was the third gay person elected to the Dane County board, " she says on this week's LGBTQ&Apodst.

JM: Early your reer, were you known as "The Gay Congrsperson", "The Gay Senator"? And I was the third gay person elected to the Dane County board.

"When I was nng for the state legislature, every story wrten about my ndidacy was, "Can a gay woman w? I said, "It's fair to wre that story once, Can the gay person w?

TAMMY BALDW WS WISNS, BEG THE FIRST OPENLY GAY U.S. SENATOR

Tammy Baldw, Amerin polician who was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate 2012 and began reprentg Wisns that body the followg year; she was the first openly gay senator. Baldw prevly served the U.S. Hoe of Reprentativ (1999–2013). * tammy baldwin gay *

What's your gay agenda? Each of the reporters who was sort of verg me realized that that was a fair That's tertg that you were the third out gay person elected to the County Board bee I had been wonrg if you'd nsired not beg out at that time.

" Nobody ever said, "Are you gay?

Past guts clu Pete Buttigieg, Laverne Cox, Brandi Carlile, Billie Jean Kg, and Roxane Gay.

PCHG G.O.P. ON GAY MARRIAGE BILL, TAMMY BALDW LEAV NOTHG TO CHANCE

The send-term Democrat was the first openly gay woman elected to Congrs. Now she is leadg the effort to rally Republin support for legislatn that would protect marriage equaly natnwi. * tammy baldwin gay *

Her advocy me durg a perd when even her own party was divid over gay 2008, she found the Congrsnal LGBTQ+ Equaly Cc along wh Rep. Baldw is currently phg legislatn to dify the right to gay marriage.

I., and the first openly gay mayor of a state pal -- has reprented Rho Island's First Congrsnal District sce 2011. She mak history as Kansas's first LGBTQ member of Congrs and the first gay Native Amerin woman elected to Congrs. Gay ngrsman Sean Patrick Maloney won reelectn 2018 to ntue reprentg New York's 18th District.

Mark Pon is a gay polician and former small-bs owner who first took office the U. It’s one way Baldw, the first openly gay woman elected to Congrs, is workg to fluence the g electn — even if she isn’t nng herself.

TAMMY BALDW MAK HISTORY AS FIRST OPENLY GAY US SENATOR

Baldw, the first openly gay person elected to the Senate, is leadg the charge to secure the 10 Republin vot need for a filibter-proof majory to pass a bill difyg marriage equaly. * tammy baldwin gay *

And yet there are other cril aspects of life where people need protectn om discrimatn: keepg a roof over your head, not beg refed hog or evicted om hog bee you have a landlord who don’t want gay people In their apartment buildg, beg offered servic public acmodatns, beg able to orr at the lunch unter. Wh the gay, lbian, and bisexual muny, marriage equaly is such an amazg and powerful breakthrough civil rights.

Ten years after makg history as the first openly gay senator, Tammy Baldw is blazg another trail. Still, she don’t play up her own stat as the first openly gay senator, acrdg to Schumer: “She don’t have to. He ma the ments ont of openly gay Democratic Wisns Sen.

Mar Rub of Florida lled a vote on a bill to dify same-sex marriage to feral law a "stupid waste of time" ont of openly gay Democratic Wisns Sen.

RERD 13 CONGRS MEMBERS INTIFY AS GAY, LBIAN OR BISEXUAL

Jt two years after Wisns's Supreme Court upheld a nstutnal ban on gay marriage and civil unns, the state has elected the natn's first lbian to * tammy baldwin gay *

The Senate ph to enshre feral protectns for same-sex marriage has land Wisns’s two senators — liberal Tammy Baldw, the first openly gay senator history, and nservative Ron Johnson, who fac a tough re-electn bid this fall and has waffled on the issue — the was a pot months ago when appeared the two — who typilly shun the media — uld agree on somethg else, too, when Johnson left the door open to supportg Baldw’s same-sex marriage sce then, what's been a challengg relatnship has grown all the more ght — even as Baldw remas optimistic that she n ultimately get him on board. San Colls, R-Mae, to try to ensure that the Supreme Court don’t roll back the nstutnal rights to gay and terracial marriage, as did to abortn rights early this bipartisan duo say they have drafted promise language to addrs ncerns om nservativ who have warned that the Rpect for Marriage Act uld ge on relig liberty or allow polygamo marriag. Senate race Wisns, makg history as the first openly gay U.

SEN. TAMMY BALDW, WHO IS GAY, SAYS SHE NONTED MAR RUB AN ELEVATOR AFTER HE SAID A SAME-SEX MARRIAGE VOTE WAS A 'STUPID WASTE OF TIME'

The 118th U.S. Congrs set a historil mark wh a rerd 13 members who intify as gay, lbian or bisexual. * tammy baldwin gay *

And Baldw served three terms the Wisns Assembly before succsfully nng for her victory speech Wisns, Baldw acknowledged that she mak history as both Wisns's first female senator and the untry's first openly gay senator. And I am well aware that I will be the first openly gay member, " Baldw said to loud cheers and chants of "Tammy, Tammy!

2019-06-28T20:50:04-04:00 Tammy Baldw (D-WI), the first openly LGBTQ non-cumbent elected to Congrs 1998 and 2012 the first openly gay LGBTQ person elected to the U. Senate, spoke about the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall rts that started the gay rights movement.

TAMMY BALDW SWORN IN TO SENATE, BE FIRST OPENLY GAY SENATOR

Tammy Baldw Be The First Openly Gay Senator * tammy baldwin gay *

Senator Tammy Baldw (D-WI), the first openly LGBTQ non-cumbent elected to Congrs 1998 and 2012 the first openly gay LGBTQ….

Senator Tammy Baldw (D-WI), the first openly LGBTQ non-cumbent elected to Congrs 1998 and 2012 the first openly gay LGBTQ person elected to the U. The Stonewall rts began on June 28, 1969, after police raid the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar New York Cy’s…. The New School history Profsor Claire Potter talked about the 1969 Stonewall Rts and rise of the gay rights….

Senate 2012 and began reprentg Wisns that body the followg year; she was the first openly gay senator. She was particularly active sponsorg and amendg legislatn havg to do wh marriage equaly, cyberbullyg, and the rights of lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr dividuals.

REP. TAMMY BALDW ON FIGHT FOR GAY RIGHTS

AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe send-term Democrat was the first openly gay woman elected to Congrs. Johnson replied wh a thumbs-up emoji and wished her a pleasant Baldw, 60, who 1999 beme the first openly gay woman elected to Congrs, has helmed the effort to w over the 10 Republin senators whose backg is necsary to secure passage of the Rpect for Marriage Act, which would provi feral protectns for same-sex marriage rights at a time of risg fears that they are at Ms. “More and more, my Republin lleagu know gay people who are married, ” Ms.

Schumer said he would work to fd the necsary vot to move past a filibter and to a a matter of hours, a bill that many thought would be ad on arrival the Senate beme the subject of an tensive legislative Baldw, the epome of Midwtern nice who enjoys sewg and okg — hobbi she scrib as “borg” — is some ways an unlikely arm-twister for the one to seek attentn, she played down the historic nature of her victory when she won her Senate seat 10 years ago, gettg halfway through her speech before she mentned that she was “well aware” that her electn was a tone for gay rights.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* TAMMY BALDWIN GAY

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class="article-le-byle" data-activy-map="le-byle-article-top">By <span class="byle-name"><a href=">Stt Wong</a></span> and <span class="byle-name">Frank Thorp V</span></div></sectn><div class="article-body__ntent article-body-font--loadg"><p class="">The Senate ph to enshre feral protectns for same-sex marriage has land Wisns’s two senators — liberal Tammy Baldw, the first openly gay senator history, and nservative Ron Johnson, who fac a tough re-electn bid this fall and has waffled on the issue — the spotlight.</p><p class="">There was a pot months ago when appeared the two — who typilly shun the media — uld agree on somethg else, too, when Johnson left the door open to supportg Baldw’s same-sex marriage legislatn.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><div id="taboolaReadMoreBelow"></div><p class="">But sce then, what's been a challengg relatnship has grown all the more ght — even as Baldw remas optimistic that she n ultimately get him on board. And terviews wh both senators show a stra.</p><p class="">Asked how she would characterize her relatnship wh Johnson, Baldw gave a bare-bon scriptn. “We’re both senators om Wisns and there’s thgs we need to get done, but anyways — that’s all," she said as she end the terview.</p><p class="">Baldw has been leadg the legislative effort, teamg wh Sen. San Colls, R-Mae, to try to ensure that the Supreme Court don’t roll back the nstutnal rights to gay and terracial marriage, as did to <a href=" target="_blank">abortn rights</a> early this summer.</p><p class="">The bipartisan duo say they have drafted promise language to addrs ncerns om nservativ who have warned that the Rpect for Marriage Act uld ge on relig liberty or allow polygamo marriag. But the amendment hasn’t been unveiled yet or shared privately wh Senate lleagu. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">It’s a big reason a handful of Republins like Johnson are unwillg to say where they stand on the issue and why Baldw and Colls haven’t been able to nail down the 10 GOP vot they need to feat a promised filibter.</p><p class="">Baldw, 60, a former unty official, state legislator and U.S. Hoe member, has dited that she has secured at least five GOP vot, cludg those om members who have publicly stated that they support the bill, like Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carola and Rob Portman of Oh. Portman’s son is openly gay.</p><p class="">And Baldw believ a handful of others — cludg her Wisns seatmate, Johnson, 67 — are gettable. </p><p class="">“We’re still hopg,” she said. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">The issue has put Johnson, the most vulnerable Senate Republin this cycle, a tough spot his race agast progrsive Democratic Lt. Gov. Manla Barn, the first Black person to hold the job. More than 70% of Amerins back same-sex marriage, and polls have shown Barn wh a slight lead over Johnson, a Donald Tmp ally, even though he has the power of cumbency as he seeks a third six-year term.</p><p class="">“He’s a disgrace and don’t believe protectg our rights and eedoms. He’s unf for public office,” Barn <a href=">tweeted</a> rponse to a story last week that Johnson had flip-flopped on same-sex marriage.</p><p class="">The issue has also highlighted Baldw and Johnson’s chilly relatnship, which has only grown lr sce same-sex marriage me to the foreont the Senate. </p><p class="">Johnson, a nservative bomb thrower swept to the Senate the tea party wave of 2010, has acced Baldw of “leakg” to The <a href=">New York Tim</a> a text msage exchange between the two after he ially exprsed an openns to supportg her bill to protect same-sex marriage. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">He has sce said that he oppos the bill s current form and that the Supreme Court se legalizg same-sex marriage was “<a href=">wrongly cid</a>.” </p><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><div class="remend-tersectn-ref" data-activy-map="remend-article-body-remend"></div><p class="">“She texted me one time, and then she leaked the text to The New York Tim, so that’s not a good way to al wh a fellow senator,” Johnson said Tuday. “It’s the first time somebody’s actually leaked my texts. … We’ve been rdial, but aga, I’ve never leaked texts between senators. It’s jt the improper thg to do.”</p><p class="">While the legislatn's backers haven’t secured the 10 vot, Majory Lear Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., vows to prs forward on an issue that Democrats believe will give them a boost the g midterms. If Schumer fil cloture on the bill Thursday, would likely set up a key procral vote on the bill early next week at the 60-vote thrhold.</p><p class="">Baldw said has been “a while” sce she spoke to Johnson about the legislatn. But she said she thks he might be among the “y” vot when the bill to the floor. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">"I thk he will be. I thk he might be, given the number of thgs I’ve read and a number of the people who are reachg out” to Johnson, Baldw said the hallway terview. </p><p class="">She add that some supporters of the bill had been “assigned” to reach out to Johnson. She wouldn’t name nam: “I’m not gog to share that level of tail.”    </p><p class="">Colls said she hadn’t recently spoken wh Johnson, eher.</p><p class="">Neher Johnson nor Baldw urt the media the halls. The gff Johnson, who ran a plastic manufacturg bs before he arrived the Senate, has never appeared to enjoy sparrg wh reporters like some of his other GOP lleagu. Baldw is often scribed as pole and soft-spoken, and spe her history-makg electn 2012, she rarely seeks the limelight. </p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="">The days, however, reporters have been houndg both about the same-sex marriage issue.</p><p class="">“I actually listen to nstuents,” Johnson said the terview. “There are some very legimate ncerns about relig liberty, and those ncerns would have to be properly addrsed.”</p><p class="">“I thk people are” workg on an amendment, he said, “but ’s got to provi very strong protectns.”</p><p class="">Colls, who has been tasked wh helpg to round up GOP support, said she’s also “hopeful” they n get to 10.</p><div class="ad ad--text-alignment ad-ntaer boxleAd dn-prt"><div data-mps="te" data-slot="boxle" data-siz="[[[1000,1],[]],[[758,1],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[728,90],[360,360]]],[[0,0],[[300,250],[700,50],[5,5],[360,360]]]]" data-renr-on-view="te" data-targetg="{}" data-active-tab="te" data-offset-viewport="100"></div></div><p class="endmark">“But as I said, you never know until the roll is lled.”</p><div class="expand-byle-ntributors articleByleContaer"><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><a href="><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></a></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name"><a href=">Stt Wong</a></span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-twter"></span></a><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Stt Wong is a senr ngrsnal reporter for NBC News. </p></div></div><div class="expand-byle article-expand-byle" data-activy-map="expand-byle-article-bottom"><div class="byle-thumbnail byle-thumbnail--has-image expand-byle__thumbnail"><picture><source srcSet=" 2x, 1x"/><img loadg="lazy" src=" alt="" height="48" width="48"/></picture></div><span class="byle-name expand-byle__name">Frank Thorp V</span><span class="byle-social expand-byle__social"><a href="" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="byle-social--lk"><span class="in in-email"></span></a></span><div class="expand-byle__b-wrapper"><p class="byle-b expand-byle__b">Frank Thorp V is a producer and off-air reporter verg Congrs for NBC News, managg verage of the Senate.</p></div></div></div></div></div><div class="article-body--right-rail-ntaer"><div class="article-body__right-rail 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