Senate punts vote on gay marriage-protection measure until after midterms
The Senate will delay voting on a measure to protect same-sex marriage until after November's midterm elections as Republican support for the measure remains uncertain, lawmakers announced Thursday.
The Senate will delay voting on a measure to protect same-sex marriage until after November’s midterm elections as Republican support for the measure remains uncertain, lawmakers announced Thursday.
The decision to hold off on a vote came after weeks of bipartisan negotiations where a small group of senators had been working to alleviate the concerns of Republican senators in an attempt to persuade them to back the legislation.
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The Respect for Marriage Act would enshrine federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages and repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which recognizes marriages in the United States as between one man and one woman.
But the prospect of a vote less than two months from the midterm elections, in which control of the Senate is at stake, left some Republicans skittish about taking a position on the legislation.
Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) have been working alongside Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) to find 10 Republican votes necessary for it to pass.
Some Republicans said they were unwilling to support the bill unless it included more airtight protections for religious liberty and clarification that the law would not legalize polygamy.
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Two Republican senators in tight reelection battles would have had to vote on the issue: Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Ron Johnson (Wis.). Johnson had said in a statement earlier this summer that he saw no reason to oppose the measure but has since backtracked, saying this month that he is concerned about religious protections.
The push to codify same-sex marriage became more urgent to liberals after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade this summer, motivating Democrats to hold a vote on the issue and protect the right from future challenges.
The House of Representatives passed the measure with the support of all Democrats and 47 Republicans in July.