GOP members walk out on colleague reading Bible verses calling homosexuality ‘worthy of death’
GOP members walked out on one of their own in a meeting Thursday when a fellow representative started reading Bible verses condemning homosexuality. But they still voted in the majority against a spending bill that day that would also have barred LGBT discrimination had it passed.
Rep. Rick Allen of Georgia quoted Bible passages describing and condemning homosexuality in a Republican caucus meeting ahead of a vote on the bill, according to Roll Call, spurring some fellow Republicans to leave the room. The verses, from the books of Romans and Revelations, denounce homosexuality as “worthy of death,” though Allen did not explicitly mention the amendment.
Allen’s office told Roll Call that the representative read Romans 1:18-32: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
The reading was not well-received.
"A lot of members were clearly uncomfortable and upset," a leadership aide told The Hill.
Another Republican told Politico that "a good number of members were furious.”
“There was some Scripture that was read and the like,” the Republican said. “Nothing good was going to happen to those that supported” the provision.
A Republican representative who was present for the reading and supported the amendment was more blunt, telling The Hill the act was “f***ing ridiculous.”
The LGBT provision, proposed by Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, would have implemented a 2014 executive order that prohibits federal contractors from discriminating by sexual orientation or gender identity. The vote on attaching the amendment had passed the night before 223 to 195.
The bill was ultimately voted down 305-112. Several Democrats also voted against the bill because of other provisions proposed by Republican lawmakers.
Maloney proposed an identical provision for a military spending bill that was defeated last week, after Republicans switched their votes after the clock ran out. Democrats on the floor chanted, “shame, shame, shame” when the votes were changed, stopping the bill from passing.
This story was originally published May 27, 2016 at 11:54 AM with the headline "GOP members walk out on colleague reading Bible verses calling homosexuality ‘worthy of death’."