More than seven years since same-sex marriage was legalized by the Supreme Court, the United States Senate passed legislation that protects same-sex marriages on Tuesday and it will move to the House of Representatives for a final vote.
A version of the Respect for Marriage Act was previously passed by 50 House Republicans and all Democrats, Politico reported. In the Senate, 12 Republicans voted with all Democrats for the current bill, including Utah senator and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.
Massachusetts politicians praised the bill on social media.
Elected among the United States’ first two lesbian governors in 2022, Gov.-elect Maura Healey quote tweeted the Washington Post’s article initially breaking the news about the bill’s passage.
“Your marriage should be recognized and respected across the country, no matter who you love. We laid the groundwork for marriage equality right here in Massachusetts,” she captioned the tweet. “I’m glad to see the Senate take action today to protect it.”
“I’m proud to have voted to pass the Respect for Marriage Act tonight to protect marriage equality but we have so much more to do,” Sen Ed Markey tweeted Tuesday night. “We must codify the right to marry whoever you love and protect it fully from the extremist Supreme Court.”
Rep. Ayanna Pressley also praised the bill’s passage ahead of its eventual arrival in the House. Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said in a statement it would be brought to the floor early next week.
“Everyone deserves to marry who they love, and the Senate’s passage of the Respect for Marriage Act is a step toward marriage equality for our LGBTQ+ siblings,” she tweeted. “Next stop: passing it out of the House.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren brought up the Supreme Court, which has consequently given the bill momentum. Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June, Justice Clarence Thomas said other court decisions such as on marriage equality could be reexamined, according to the Associated Press.
“Today, the Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act,” she tweeted. “Democrats will keep fighting to protect Americans’ right to marry who they love, even when this extremist Supreme Court threatens this right.”
Echoing her colleagues, Rep. Katherine Clark said the United States is close to making same-sex marriage law of the land. The Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, two years after declaring the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional for defining marriage as only between one man and one woman.
“Every American deserves to live and love freely,” she tweeted. “With tonight’s Senate vote, we are on the precipice of making marriage equality the law of the land. “For Democrats, progress is our promise.”
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Original story HERE.