Senate to vote on same-sex marriage bill

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday will vote on a motion to proceed with a bipartisan bill that would enshrine same-sex marriage protections into federal law.

The Respect for Marriage Act, which passed the House of Representatives earlier this year, would codify marriages between same-sex and interracial couples, shielding them from future Supreme Court decisions.

It was introduced by Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., after the nation’s high court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, with Justice Clarence Thomas issuing a concurring opinion indicating that an earlier high court decision protecting same-sex marriage could come under threat.

In July, the bill passed the House in a 267-157 vote, with 47 Republicans joining Democrats in supporting the measure.

Democrats agreed to wait until after the 2022 midterm elections to bring the legislation to the Senate floor, believing it would be easier to garner bipartisan support from Republicans across the aisle.

The procedural vote, which is expected Wednesday afternoon, would be followed by a final vote later this month.

If all 50 members of the Senate’s Democratic caucus vote in favor, it would need support from at least 10 Republicans to overcome a filibuster.

“I hope that at minimum 10 Republicans will throw their support behind this sound, common-sense bill,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday. “Millions of people will be better off if we’re able to work together on this important and highly personal issue.”

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., who became the first openly gay politician elected to the Senate after winning her race in 2012, is leading the effort by Democrats to garner GOP support for its passage.

“The Respect for Marriage Act will protect marriage equality and ensure individuals in same-sex and interracial marriages are guaranteed the same rights & freedoms as every other marriage,” Baldwin tweeted Monday. "We are going to get this done for loving families across America."

The same day, Baldwin released an amended version of the bill that includes protections for religious liberty.

The move helped convince Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, to back the bill.

"If it includes important protections for religions and religious institutions, I will support it," Romney told Politico.

The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said Tuesday it would back the proposed legislation despite its opposition to same-sex unions.

"The doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints related to marriage between a man and a woman is well known and will remain unchanged," the church said in a statement. "We are grateful for the continuing efforts of those who work to ensure the Respect for Marriage Act includes appropriate religious freedom protections while respecting the law and preserving the rights of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters.

“We believe this approach is the way forward,” the church added. “As we work together to preserve the principles and practices of religious freedom together with the rights of LGBTQ individuals, much can be accomplished to heal relationships and foster greater understanding.”

If the amended bill with religious liberty protections passes the Senate, it would need another vote of approval from the House before heading to President Biden’s desk.