The U.S. Senate passed a bill Tuesday to protect same-sex marriage and shield legal precedent approved by the Supreme Court in 2015, all after that judicial body struck down abortion rights last June.
With 61 votes in favor and 36 against, the bill has been supported by all members of the Democratic bench and by 12 Republicans, who had already shown in favor of supporting the voting procedure, according to ‘The Hill’.
The so-called Respect for Marriage Act must now pass the scrutiny of the House of Representatives before it is sent to U.S. President Joe Biden and becomes law. The bill is expected to pass the lower house before the end of the year.
Senate Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has congratulated Republican senators who supported the measure for their «outstanding and tireless work on this historic legislation,» CNN has reported.
«For millions and millions of Americans, today is a very good day (…) An important day. A day that has been a long time coming,» Schumer said in a speech in the Upper House.
The bill would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which passed overwhelmingly in 1996 and defined marriage as only between a man and a woman. Several states still have laws prohibiting same-sex marriage.
