WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would protect federal recognition of same-sex marriage, a move taken in response to concerns that the Supreme Court could overturn a decision of 2015 that legalized it throughout the country.
The tweaked bill, which would require the federal government to recognize a marriage if it was legal in the state where it took place, is intended as a backstop if the Supreme Court rules against same-sex marriage.
It would not prevent states from blocking same-sex or interracial marriages if the Supreme Court allowed them to do so.
“Today, the long but inexorable march toward greater equality moves forward,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
“By passing this bill, the Senate is sending a message that all Americans need to hear: No matter who you are or who you love, you deserve dignity and equal treatment under the law.”
[1/5] A view of the U.S. Capitol building at sunrise in Washington, U.S., February 10, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File photo
The bill passed 61 to 36, with 60 votes needed for passage. Twelve Republicans joined 49 Democrats in supporting the bill. One Democrat, Raphael Warnock of Georgia, was absent, as were two Republican senators.
A similar, but not identical, bill passed the House of Representatives earlier this year with the support of 47 Republicans and every Democrat. The House would have to pass the Senate version before it is sent to President Joe Biden to sign into law.
The No. 2 House Democrat, Steny Hoyer, told reporters Tuesday that the House would likely take up the Senate version of the bill next week.
In June, the Supreme Court overturned the national right to abortion, undoing 50 years of precedent.
In a concurring opinion, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that the court should consider overturning other decisions that protect individual liberties, including the 2015 ruling on gay marriage.
About 568,000 married same-sex couples live in the United States, according to the US Census Bureau.
Reporting by Moira Warburton Editing by Chris Reese and Richard Chang
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Gram Slattery
Thomson Reuters
Washington-based correspondent covering campaigns and Congress. Previously published in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Santiago, Chile, and has reported widely throughout Latin America. Co-winner of the 2021 Reuters Journalist of the Year Award in the business coverage category for a series on corruption and fraud in the oil industry. He was born in Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard University.