Inside senators fight to protect same-sex marriage
They needed 10 Republicans. Today on Post Reports, we take you inside the efforts of a small bipartisan group of senators \u2013 and how it gathered enough GOP support to pass same-sex marriage protections in a divided Congress.
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Back in July, after this year\u2019s first attempts to codify protections for same-sex marriage in Congress, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) had a revelation.
\u201cI remember the day that happened,\u201d Baldwin told Liz Goodwin, congressional reporter for The Post. . She recalled going to a small group of colleagues after the measure passed the House with substantial Republican support.. \u201cI went immediately to Rob Portman, Thom Tillis. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski. 47! 47 [House] Republicans supported this. We could do this.\u201d
On Tuesday, Baldwin\u2019s hopes were realized: In a bipartisan effort, the Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act. The bill codifies federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, protecting couples\u2019 rights if the Supreme Court were to ever reverse key decisions. Every present Senate Democrat and 12 Republicans voted for the bill, a landmark moment that shows how quickly public opinion has changed on the issue. The amended bill now heads to the House, where it\u2019s expected to pass and land on President Biden\u2019s desk.
On today\u2019s episode, Congress reporter Liz Goodwin details how a bipartisan group of senators slowly but surely gathered support for the Respect for Marriage Act - and what Tuesday\u2019s vote means for the future of LGBTQ rights.