Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, said on Wednesday that it intends to put to a vote a bill to codify same-sex marriage into a federal law “in the next few weeks,” and hopes there will be enough Republican support to pass it. The measure is the Law of Respect for Marriage.
Schumer also said he would prefer to present it as a separate piece of legislation, and not attached to a government funding bill that must be passed, according to CNN.
“Let me be clear, there will be a vote: There will be a vote on marriage equality in the Senate in the next few weeks, and I hope there are 10 Republicans who will support it,” Schumer said at a news conference on Capitol Hill.
The Senate returned to Washington after this week’s August recess and the Democrats, who control the chamber, must decide how and when to vote on several key issues ahead of the upcoming midterm elections in November, where control of Congress is at stake.
The main piece of legislation to be passed on the to-do list is a bill to extend government funding beyond the September 30 deadline and prevent a shutdown, but Democrats are also pushing for a vote on same-sex marriage.
There have been questions about whether the same-sex marriage bill could be attached to the government funding measure, but prominent supporters of the bill have rejected it, arguing that it should be carried out as a separate vote.
Support for a Senate vote on a bill to codify same-sex marriage has been growing after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.
The impetus behind the Respect for Marriage Act is the concurring opinion of Judge Clarence Thomas in Dobbsv. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court abortion rights decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
Justice Clarence Thomas urged the court to reverse its rulings establishing a fundamental constitutional right to use contraception, the right of same-sex couples to marry, and the right to engage in intimate sexual relationships with other consenting adults.
The Democratic-led House of Representatives passed a bill to enshrine same-sex marriage protections into federal law in July, amid fears among Democrats that the conservative majority on the Supreme Court could target same-sex marriage in the future.
Democrats could use the issue to force vulnerable Republicans to vote yes with a view to his re-election in November, but it remains unclear whether he will ultimately garner the support needed to pass the legislation.
At least 10 Republicans would have to vote with all Democrats to overcome a filibuster and pass legislation.
Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin told CNN they are “very close” to getting 10 Republicans on board.
A bipartisan group of negotiators, working to get at least 60 votes in favor of the bill in the Senate, is considering adding language to the bill to address the concerns of its critics.
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– The US Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage: Obergefell v. Hodges
Source: La Opinion
