- A bipartisan group made public the text of an amendment to a bill codifying same-sex marriage.
- The House passed the bill in July with little resistance, but GOP senators demanded more religious protections.
- They state that they are confident the changes will give it the GOP support it needs in the chamber.
A bipartisan group made the announcement by senators TextThey have amended a bill codifying same-sex and interracial marriage into federal law Monday. They claim they are “confident” the new changes will get the bill the Republican support it needs to pass the chamber with 60 votes.
These are the changes include languageTo ensure that religious groups and institutions are not subject to the bill’s religious freedoms being diminished, the bill clarifies that polygamous marriages are not legalized and contains language that recognizes “different beliefs” about the marriage.
“Diversity in beliefs about gender and marriage is held by rational and sincere individuals who are based on honorable and decent religious or philosophical premises. Accordingly, Congress affirms that such people are entitled to proper respect,” reads a section in the Respect for Marriage Act’s “findings” section.
A Gallup poll, June 2021 found that 71% of Americans — including 55% of Republicans — support same-sex marriage.
In a statement, the group of senators — which includes Democratic Sens. Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin) and Kyrsten Sinema (Arizona), as well as Republican Senators, released a statement. Susan Collins of Maine, Rob Portman of Ohio, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — touted the addition of “commonsense language” that “fully respects and protects Americans’ religious liberties and diverse beliefs.”
“We look forward for this legislation coming down the aisle and are confident that it has helped earn broad, bipartisan support to pass our commonsense law into law,” said the senators.
Semafor Published MondayAn anonymous Senate aide stated that the bill would be put to a vote next week. Insider asked for comment from Chuck Schumer, a spokesperson for the Senate Majority Leader.
“All I can say is that we are pushing to get a vote as quickly as possible,” Eli Rosen (press secretary for Senator Baldwin) told Insider via email.
This announcement comes nearly four months after the bill was approved. With unexpected bipartisan support, he sailed through CongressIt was supported by every Democrat, 47 Republicans and all Democrats. Democratic leadership put the bill on the floor amid concerns that same-sex marriage — which became legal nationwide following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 — was Roe v. Wade is now at stake
“In future trials, we should consider all of the Court’s substantive due-process precedents, including Griswold Lawrence and Obergefell,” said conservative Justice Clarence Thomas in a Opinion concurring to the June ruling
A few Republican senators voted in support of the bill, although some questioned the necessity of the legislation.
“I know many gay people in Florida who are pissed about gas prices,” Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida Insider was told at the timeAccording to them, same-sex marriage is a “non-issue.”
This bipartisan group wrote the amendment language to gain the ten Republican votes needed to break the Senate filibuster threshold (60 votes) and pass the legislation. It included Refusal to vote on a plan previously madeBefore the midterm elections.
The House will need to vote again on the amended bill before January if the Senate passes the amended bill. President Joe Biden would then sign it into law.
