Respect for Marriage Act

From Politico:

The Senate passed legislation Tuesday to enshrine same-sex marriage protections in federal law, bringing the bill a critical step closer to President Joe Biden’s desk.

Senators spent months negotiating adding language to the bill related to religious liberty, a bid to attract the necessary 10 GOP votes to break a filibuster. The legislation still needs to clear the House, a likely easy lift since a previous version was approved by nearly 50 House Republicans and all Democrats.

A total of 12 Republicans voted with all Democrats in support of the bill. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer indicated Tuesday that the House would take up the Senate version as soon as next week.

The legislation, led by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), would ensure that the federal government recognizes a same-sex marriage, as well as interracial marriage, even if a couple moves to a state that doesn’t do so. In addition, the bill would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman and passed the Senate by an overwhelming margin in 1996.

Read more here.