With support from a dozen Republicans, the Senate on Wednesday voted 62-37 to protect same-sex marriage, most particularly from the Supreme Court. The House would have to approve the bill for the second time, but the Senate vote puts the legislation on the path to President Biden's desk, Politico reports. "We can ease the fear that millions of same-sex and interracial couples have that their freedoms and their rights could be stripped away," said Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a lead sponsor of the bill. The Respect for Marriage Act will guarantee the couples, "regardless of where they live, that their marriage is legal," she said.
After a version passed the House in July, Senate Democrats have been trying to ease Republican concerns over religious liberty issues. The two sides eventually agreed on wording making clear that churches, colleges, and other nonprofit religious organizations won't lose their tax-exempt status if they don't recognize same-sex marriages, per the New York Times. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was among the organizations that this week announced its support for the legislation. Though polls show more than 70% of Americans and most Republicans support same-sex marriage, the majority of GOP senators voted no Wednesday. Republican Sen. Susan Collins is the other lead sponsor.
Supporters of the act felt more urgency this summer when Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in his opinion supporting the dismantling of Roe v. Wade that the court also should take another look at earlier rulings that supported marriage equality, as well as access to contraception. Baldwin warned that the court could use arguments similar to those in the abortion ruling to curb other rights. "The Supreme Court should not be in a position to undermine the stability of families with the stroke of a pen," Baldwin said. (More Respect for Marriage Act stories.)
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