Draft GOP platform drops call for marriage amendment

There is at least one significant change in the first draft of the document that will ultimately become the GOP platform at the Republican National Convention.

The draft, shared with CNN, drops calls for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman; it does reject the Supreme Court's decision to legalize same-sex marriage, arguing it should be left up to the states. On trade, the tone becomes very Donald Trump-esque; the draft states that international trade is beneficial to the American economy, but there are "massive deficits," and there has to be "better negotiated trade agreements that put America first." When it comes to Israel, the draft references an "undivided" Jerusalem and takes out a reference to Palestine in support of a two-state solution, CNN reports. On abortion, the draft does not take a sharp turn from 2012's platform, stating that fetuses are protected by the Constitution.

The draft was shared Sunday night by the Republican National Committee with members of the Platform Committee, and the panel will meet later this week to adapt the language and vote on a final proposal that will go to the full convention next week, CNN says.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up