Attempt to filibuster bill protecting same-sex marriage rights fails
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Senate Democrats, with some help from a minority of Republicans, will pass a bill providing protection to same-sex couples should the Supreme Court overrule Obergefell:
The Senate on Wednesday took a crucial step toward passing landmark legislation to provide federal protections for same-sex marriages, as 12 Republicans joined Democrats to advance the Respect for Marriage Act, putting it on track to become law in the twilight of the Democratic-held Congress.
The 62-37 vote, which came only days after the midterm elections in which Democrats retained control of the Senate but were on track to lose the House to Republicans, was a rare and notable last gasp of bipartisanship by a lame duck Congress as lawmakers looked toward an era of political gridlock in a divided Washington.
It also signaled a remarkable shift in American politics and culture, demonstrating how same-sex marriage, once a politically divisive issue, has been so widely accepted in society that a law to protect the rights of same-sex couples across the country could gain decisive, bipartisan majorities in both the Senate and the House. Last summer, 47 House Republicans joined Democrats to pass a version of the bill.
Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, said that passage of the legislation, now expected after Thanksgiving, would be “one of the true highlights of the year for this body” and “one of the more significant accomplishments of this Senate to date.”
Speaking on the Senate floor, Mr. Schumer noted that his daughter and her wife were expecting a baby in the spring and he wanted “them, and every one in a loving relationship, to live without the fear that their rights could one day be stripped away.”
Speaking on the Senate floor, Mr. Schumer noted that his daughter and her wife were expecting a baby in the spring and he wanted “them, and every one in a loving relationship, to live without the fear that their rights could one day be stripped away.”
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The Republican Senators who ultimately voted for the measure on Wednesday were: Roy Blunt of Missouri, Richard Burr of North Carolina, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Susan Collins of Maine, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Rob Portman of Ohio, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Joni Ernst of Iowa and Todd Young of Indiana.
McConnell did accomplish one important thing by saving Ron Johnson’s seat by delaying his inevitable no vote until after the election.
This is good news, but should also make clear that Obergefell is far from safe — most elite Republicans think that this is another right that should be taken away.