Senate Democrats have opted to delay a vote on legislation to codify same-sex marriage protections until after the midterm elections, hoping that the timing will help garner enough GOP support to overcome a filibuster and pass the bill.
A procedural vote on the measure was previously expected to take place on Monday.
Democrats, led by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), have heavily lobbied members across the aisle to support the legislation but have fallen short on getting firm commitments from 10 Republicans, as many within the conference remain elusive.
“Through bipartisan collaboration, we’ve crafted commonsense language that respects religious liberty and Americans’ diverse beliefs while upholding our view that marriage embodies the highest ideals of love, devotion, and family,” Baldwin and Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Susan Collins (R-ME), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Thom Tillis (R-NC) said in a joint statement.
PELOSI CONFIDENT DEMOCRATS WILL HOLD HOUSE MAJORITY
“We’ve asked Leader Schumer for additional time, and we appreciate he has agreed,” they added. “We are confident that when our legislation comes to the Senate floor for a vote, we will have the bipartisan support to pass the bill.”
The House previously passed similar legislation in a 267-157 vote with the support of 47 Republicans in July.
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The push to codify same-sex marriage comes in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, with Democrats arguing that Justice Clarence Thomas’s concurring opinion, which states that the high court should reconsider the issue, warrants swift action from Congress.
The move comes shortly after a group of bipartisan lawmakers met on Thursday to discuss whether to release the text of an amendment pertaining to GOP concerns over whether churches could face legal repercussions if same-sex marriage was codified.
