Kentucky's Mitch McConnell Voted Against Interracial Marriage & His Wife Is Asian American
The Respect for Marriage Act protects same-sex marriage as well.
Elaine Chao on a chair in front of the American flag. Right: Senator Mitch McConnell with a thumbs up.
The members of the U.S. Senate voted on November 29 to officially pass a bill for federal protection of same-sex and interracial marriage into law. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was one of the many voters who chose to vote against it.
Interestingly, white male Senator McConnell is in an interracial marriage, his wife being Asian American former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and U.S. Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao.
The Respect for Marriage Act, which aims to "provide statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages," passed with a 61-36 vote, but that didn't stop Twitter users from having much to say about the Kentucky senator's decision.
One account posted a photo of the pair and asked to "make it make sense."
\u201cMitch McConnell voted against interracial marriage? What? Pls make it make sense\u201d— Get Your Booster (@Get Your Booster) 1668643302
Others wonder how he can sleep well at night knowing he voted against his own union. The couple has been married for 29 years.
Both individuals are members of the Republican Party, and Senator McConnell has just been re-elected as the GOP's majority leader.
According to Chao's website, she was "the first woman of Asian American & Pacific Islander heritage to serve in the President’s cabinet in history."
"We’re ready to fight against Democrats’ recklessness and for the commonsense (sic) conservative principles and policies that make our nation stronger and American families’ lives better," he captioned an Instagram post.
Now that the Respect for Marriage Act passed in the U.S. Senate, it will move back to the House before the bill is sent to President Joe Biden's desk. However, with a current Democratic majority in the House, it is expected to pass.
Biden is in favor of the bill, according to his recent tweet from Wednesday, in which he wrote that "love is love and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love. Today’s bipartisan Senate vote gets us closer to protecting that right. The Respect for Marriage Act protects all couples under law – I urge Congress to send the bill to my desk so I can make it law."
Narcity reached out to Elaine Chao requesting a comment about her husband's decision but has yet to receive a response.
This article has been updated since originally published on November 17, 2022.