They held on to the Senate in this month’s midterm elections but lost the House to the Republicans, although the latter eked out a much thinner majority than they had expected. So when the new Congress takes power in January, gridlock is expected.
The bill passed Tuesday does not require states to legalize same-sex marriage. But it does require them to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.
So if the Supreme Court were to overturn the 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriages, a state that bans them will still have to recognize such unions carried out in other states. The bill also applies to interracial marriages.
“Today’s vote is deeply personal for many of us in this chamber,” said Schumer, who wore the same tie he had on at his lesbian daughter’s wedding.
A similar bill was already passed in June by the House of Representatives. All the chamber’s Democrats voted in favour, along with 47 Republicans.
The new vote in the House is needed to reconcile the two bills, but this is seen as a formality.
Polls show a strong majority of Americans back same-sex marriage, but it is still contentious. Thirty-six Republicans voted ‘no’ on Tuesday, and the religious right remains mostly opposed to such unions.
