Republicans and Democrats come to an identical conclusion: they should protect same-sex marriage from the Supreme Court.
The Respect for Marriage Act sets out marriages. It came despite concerns among democrats that the conservative majority on the Supreme Court that stripped the abortion right will aim at same-sex marriage in the foreseeable future.
On Tuesday, the version that faced a delay in the Senate ultimately passed the Senate. Several Republican senators throughout the country voted in favor of Democrats ahead of Thanksgiving. They shortened the debate and moved on to a final vote.
And then, it would go to the House for approval ahead of President Joe Biden’s signature into law.
However, there exist a considerable number of fine prints.
Initially, the bill doesn’t demand all states permit same-sex marriage. It stands despite the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges ruling.
Instead, if the Supreme Court overruled Obergefell and imposed the former state banning same-sex marriage again, the Respect for Marriage Act would demand states and the government respect marriages made in a place where it is legal.
Furthermore, religious exceptions occur.
“I will be supporting the substitute amendment because it will ensure our religious freedoms are upheld and protected, one of the bedrocks of our democracy,” West Virginia Senator Shelley Moor Capito said.
Democrats spent months bringing more than 10 Republicans on board.
Same-Sex Marriage: A Debate
Currently, it serves as an academic debate.
They only passed this bill in case the now-firm conservative Supreme Court revisits the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling that made a national right to marriage for same-sex spouses.
Republican-appointed conservatives now replaced two judges who voted in the agreement with that decision. So, it means that if the hearing of the case happened today, there’s a huge possibility it would be ruled differently.
Even with the fine print, many find it unbelievable that less than a generation previously, Republicans and Democrats worked hand-in-hand to safeguard the “institution of marriage” from same-sex unions.
Currently, it’s Republicans and Democrats working hand-in-hand to safeguard same-sex marriage from a government agency.
Public backing for same-sex unions increased from approximately a quarter of the people in the past. And that year, the Defense of Marriage Act was imposed on 71% of Gallup.
The controversy played a role in several US elections.
In 1996, Republican majorities in the House and Senate spotted a political entryway following then-President Bill Clinton’s failure to enable gay people to enter the military.
In 2004, smart politics constituted putting anti-gay marriage amendments on ballots in major states such as Ohio. It aided in George W. Bush’s victory and reelection to the White House. Furthermore, it contributed to the GOP gaining seats in the US Senate.
