The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to advance a bill protecting federal recognition of same-sex marriage, prompted by concerns that a more conservative Supreme Court could reverse a 2015 decision that made it legal nationwide.
The bill garnered the 60 votes required to limit debate before a final vote on its passage. It would serve as a legal backstop against any future Supreme Court action by requiring the federal government to recognize any marriage that was legal in the state it was performed.
If the Supreme Court permits states to do so, it would not prevent them from outlawing same-sex marriage or interracial unions.
The 100-member Senate decided to advance the bill with the support of all 50 Democrats and 12 Republicans. A similar bill was approved by the House of Representatives in July with the support of all of the Democrats and 47 Republicans.
Before returning to the House for final approval and the president's signature, the bill must clear a number of additional Senate procedural hurdles.
Justice Clarence Thomas caused controversy when he suggested in his concurring opinion that the Supreme Court should consider overturning other precedents protecting individual freedoms, such as the 2015 decision legalising gay marriage, when the court overturned federal protections for abortion in June.
According to U.S. data, there are about 568,000 married same-sex couples in the country. Counting Houses.
Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay person elected to the Senate and the bill's chief negotiator, said at a news conference on Tuesday, "I've heard from constituents back home who are concerned and worried about the suggestion that their right to marry who they love will be taken away."
Another significant negotiator, Republican Senator Thom Tillis, described the legislation as "a good compromise... based on mutual respect for our fellow Americans" before the vote on Wednesday.
the decision "send a powerful message that Republicans and Democrats can work together to secure the fundamental right of Americans to marry the person they love," said President Joe Biden in praising it.
Despite the fact that same-sex marriage has become a well-accepted norm over the past ten years, the bill's negotiators had to walk a fine line between upholding a right that most Americans now take for granted and allaying Republican senators' concerns about religious freedom.
The Mormon church, which was formerly a fierce opponent of legalising same-sex marriage, came out in support of the bill, showing how far the nation has come on the subject. Mormon Republican Senator Mitt Romney cast a yes vote on Wednesday.
The legislation is the outcome of months of negotiations between Republican Senators Susan Collins and Rob Portman, Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema, and Senators Baldwin and Thom Tillis.
