Senate passes bill to protect same-sex and interracial marriage over GOP opposition
The bill now goes back to the House for a final vote before heading to President Biden's desk.
Nov. 29, 2022, 8:41 AM CST / Updated Nov. 29, 2022, 5:21 PM CST
By Sahil Kapur
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday passed landmark legislation that would codify federal protection for marriages of same-sex and interracial couples, with Democrats securing enough votes to overcome opposition from most Republicans.
The Respect for Marriage Act was approved 61-36, with unanimous support from Democrats and 12 GOP votes after defeating a filibuster and rejecting three amendments offered by Republicans who oppose the bill.
The measure now returns to the House for a final vote before it can go to President Joe Biden, who said he looks forward to enacting it.
“With today’s bipartisan Senate passage of the Respect for Marriage Act, the United States is on the brink of reaffirming a fundamental truth: love is love, and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love,” Biden said in a statement.
The Senate vote reflects the rapidly growing public support for legal same-sex marriage, which hit a new high of 71% in Gallup tracking polls in June, up from just 27% in 1996 when Gallup first began polling the issue.
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https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-vote-tuesday-same-sex-marriage-bill-filibuster-rcna59125