House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Wednesday that while he “always believed that marriage was between a man and a woman," Republicans on Capitol Hill "are focused in on the economy" and not President Obama's Wednesday endorsement of same-sex marriage.
“I think he made his position pretty clear. I have always believed that marriage was between a man and a woman. But Republicans here on Capitol Hill are focused in on the economy," Boehner told Fox Business Network.
The House Speaker also skirted a question about a possible constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, saying Congress was focused instead on the economy.
“I haven't really seen this proposal. All I know is that this is a very controversial issue in our country. But most people believe that marriage is a union of a man and a woman. But again, our focus here on the Hill is on the economy and getting the American people back to work," Boehner said.
Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to voice support for same-sex couples being allowed to marry during an interview Wednesday with ABC News.
"At a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married," Obama said.
The president said his views had "evolved" after years of discussions with friends, family and staff on the issue, citing "members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together."
Obama's presumed opponent for the 2012 presidency, Mitt Romney, said later Wednesday that he continued to believe "marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman" and that the president had "changed his view" on the issue while campaigning in Oklahoma City.
Boehner went on to handicap Republican chances for holding the House, saying that if the election were held today, the GOP would be assured of holding on to the lower chamber.
“If the election were held today, I think there's a 100 percent chance that we're going to hold the House. But the election is not today. It's six months from now. My job as the leader is to ensure that even if everything falls apart, we still have control of the House," Boehner said.
"If Mitt Romney wins this election, he's going to need the House of Representatives in place, led by Republicans, to implement his agenda," he continued. "And God forbid that President Obama gets reelected. We'd better have a Republican House so we can stop all of the nonsense in the second term.”
Boehner also offered a prediction for the Senate, saying he believed his party had a shot at taking the upper chamber.
“I think there's a better than 50-50 chance that Republicans win the Senate. A lot of races out there in play. But I feel pretty good about it," Boehner said.
