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All Senate Democrats and 12 Republicans, passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify equal marriage protections. The text will now go straight to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass by a bipartisan vote.
The legislation would come to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, passed in 1996 with large majorities in both houses under President Bill Clinton. This law limited the definition of marriage to the union of one man and one woman, prohibiting the federal recognition of same-sex marriage, while also allowing states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages granted under the laws of other states.
Gay marriage is already legal across the United States since the Oberfegell v. Hodges SCOTUS decision in 2015, but the Respect for Marriage Act would codify it into law.
All Democrats and 12 Republicans voted in favor of the bill.
With all Democrats on board, these were the 12 Republicans who voted yes: Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Susan Collins (ME), Todd Young (IN), Joni Ernst (IA), Cynthia Lummis (WY), Roy Blunt (MO), Richard Burr (NC), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Rob Portman (OH), Dan Sullivan (AK), Thom Tillis (NC) and Mitt Romney (UT).
“It builds off of years and years of work of folks who have been talking for decades about ensuring that all couples have the same protections and also making sure that we’re respecting all Americans’ religious freedoms,” Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) noted following the Senate’s half-sentencing.
“These are turbulent times for our nation. Americans address each other in more crude and cruel terms than ever in my lifetime. For the sake of our nation today and its survival, we do well by taking this step — not embracing or validating each other’s devoutly held views but by the simple act of tolerating them,” said Senator Lummis (R-WY).
One of the votes that came as a surprise was that of Mitt Romney, who had already openly opposed gay marriage in 2012, while running for president. Indeed, the current senator issued a statement to explain his vote.
“While I believe in traditional marriage, Obergefell is and has been the law of the land upon which LGBTQ individuals have relied. This legislation provides certainty to many LGBTQ Americans, and it signals that Congress — and I — esteem and love all of our fellow Americans equally,” Romney wrote.
Respect for Marriage Act on its way to Biden’s desk
The legislation was approved after months of negotiations in the Senate, particularly with Republicans over religious freedom issues. However, not everyone was happy. For example, lawmakers rejected amendments by Marco Rubio (R-FL), Mike Lee (R-UT) and James Lankford (R-OK).
After the approval, the bill will be received by the Lower House, where a previous version was already approved by 267-157, so it is expected that the new version will have a similar treatment. According to Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Democratic majority leader in the House of Representatives, his colleagues expect to approve the text by December 6.
With the endorsement of both houses, the Respect for Marriage Act would go to the desk of President Biden, who has already pledged to sign it into law.
Joaquín Núñez es licenciado en comunicación periodística por la Universidad Católica Argentina. Se especializa en el escenario internacional y en la política nacional norteamericana. Confeso hincha de Racing Club de Avellaneda. Contacto: [email protected] // Joaquín Núñez has a degree in journalistic communication from the Universidad Católica Argentina. He specializes in the international scene and national American politics. Confessed fan of Racing Club of Avellaneda. Contact: [email protected]