(WASHINGTON, DC.) — CBS News reports that Tuesday night, the U.S. Senate voted to approve legislation to provide federal protection for same-sex and interracial marriages. The act will now proceed to the House, where the last weeks of a Democratic majority is expected to pass it to President Biden’s desk for signature.
The Respect for Marriage Act passed with the support of 48 Democratic senators, the 2 independents, and 12 Republicans. The 61-vote majority cleared the 60 required for the act to pass. Senator Raphael Warnock missed the vote, as he was campaigning for his runoff election next week.
“What a great day,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor after the bill passed. “What a great day.”
The act was introduced over the summer, after the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, eliminating constitutional protections for abortion. Democrats, worried about a conservative supermajority on the bench, introduced the act to codify a number of marriage rights, including “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.”
After some back-and-forth between the two parties, a bipartisan group of five senators struck a deal to satisfy Republican objections over religious freedom. Despite widespread support amongst the American public, 37 Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, voted against the bill.
©2022 Cox Media Group