Top Democrat & Republican senators go on record about chances for bill protecting gay marriage
One day after the House of Representatives passed the Respect of Marriage Act with bipartisan support, some U.S. Senate Democrats and Republicans are saying they see an opening to pass their chamber’s version of the bill providing federal protections of same-sex marriage rights nationwideThe bill is a direct response to the Supreme Court’s dismantling of Roe vs.
Wade — a reversal of nearly 50 year’s of abortion rights. The conservative court determined that the original ruling was an overreach of federal power, kicking abortion back to individual states.
It’s expected that abortion will soon be all but outlawed in half the states.Many observers worried the same process could be used to target other rights, and those fears were confirmed when Justice Clarence Thomas signaled in his concurring opinion that the Court should revisit cases which established federal protections for contraception, same-sex relationships, and same-sex marriage.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Wednesday he was “really impressed by how much bipartisan support it got in the House.” 47 Republican representatives voted yes along with all Democratic reps; 157 Republicans voted no.In order for the bill to pass the 50-50 Senate, Schumer would need at least 10 Republicans to vote for it.Related: The House just made it crystal clear what it thinks of Clarence Thomas’ plan to dismantle gay rightsJohn Thune, the senate’s No.
2 Republican, said he thinks the bill could receive enough GOP support.“I wouldn’t be surprised. We haven’t assessed [the vote count] at all, yet,” he told reporters. “But as a general matter, I think that is something people in the country have come to accept.”Other Republican senators have signaled they’d support the.
