US Senate crosses initial hurdle in same-sex, interracial marriage protection bill

In a remarkable turn of events, the US Senate on Wednesday cleared a 60-vote procedural hurdle in a test of support for a long contentious bill on same-sex relationships.Breaking a filibuster to start off debate on passing of this landmark bill providing federal protection for same sex and interracial marriages, the Senate voted 62-37 in support of the bill. All 50 members of the Democratic caucus along with 12 Republicans voted to start a debate on the bipartisan bill.

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However, as per the procedure once the bill is passed through the Senate it will require to be passed again through the House. After this, it will go to the President who will sign it into a legislation.It is interesting to note this comes in the backdrop of US elections vote counting where Republicans are projected to win a majority in the House. In view of this, the Democrats supporters of the bill are hoping to get the legislation passed by the end of the year.

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After US Supreme Court struck down Roe vs Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that enshrined the constitutional right to abortion, the advocates of same sex were fearful. However, now there is hope that the rights of those in same-sex marriage would be protected.

The bill would not make mandatory for all states to legalize same-sex marriage but it would require individual US states to recognize another state’s legal marriage.An individual state could still pass a law to ban same-sex marriage in case Supreme Court overturns its 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalised same-sex marriage.

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The Respect for Marriage Act must clear the 100-member Senate before it can become law. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told CNN that he wants his chamber’s bill to pass by Thursday before senators leave for their Thanksgiving recess all next week.

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“We’re hoping that could happen,” he said. After the test vote, Schumer hoped “both sides can work quickly together to move this bill through the Senate and on to the president’s desk.” “It already passed the House earlier this year with significant 47 Republican votes and I’m optimistic we can achieve a significant result in this chamber,” he added.

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