Senator Bob Casey, Democrat of Pennsylvania, who is often to the right of his party on social issues, joined the growing list of lawmakers who have announced their support for same-sex marriage rights.
“At a time when many Americans lament a lack of commitment in our society between married men and women, why would we want less commitment and fewer strong marriages†Mr. Casey said in a statement on Monday afternoon.
Mr. Casey, who won his bid for a second term in 2012, said that letters from gays and lesbians in his state influenced his decision, which he first disclosed in an interview with The Morning Call. He called for the Defense of Marriage Act to be repealed, days after the Supreme Court heard arguments considering the constitutionality of some aspects of the ban on federal recognition of same-sex marriages.
Mr. Casey, a Roman Catholic, had previously supported civil unions and voted to repeal “don’t ask, don’t tell,†but he is among the country’s most prominent Democratic opponents of abortion rights. His announcement follows that of several other Democratic senators in recent weeks, including Kay Hagan of North Carolina, John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, Mark Warner of Virginia, Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Jon Tester of Montana.
