Same-sex marriage bill passes Senate after bipartisan breakthrough

“We’re talking about our family, our neighbors, our colleagues and our friends,” she said. Collins. “It advances the rights of married couples, same-sex couples, and interracial couples, and advances religious freedom.”

Address to fellow Republicans who voted for this bill, ma’am. “I know it’s not easy, but they did the right thing,” Collins said.

In the end, 12 Republicans voted for the measure: Sen. Roy Blount of Missouri; Richard M. Burr and Thom Tillis, both of North Carolina; Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia; Collins; Joni Ernst of Iowa; Mrs. Loomis; Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan from Alaska; Rob Portman from Ohio; Mitt Romney from Utah; and Todd Young from Indiana.

Republican Sens. Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania — both of whom are retiring soon — did not vote, nor did Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat , he is still running for re-election ahead of the Dec. 12 general election. 6 runoff.

After the bill passed the House this summer, Senate Democrats moved to pass the Lower Inflation Act and put the marriage bill on hold until after the midterm elections. Legislative momentum faltered in September, in response to Ms. Frank Require. Baldwin believes she will be more successful in attracting Republican votes after the vote.

The calculation has angered some progressive Democrats, who say Republicans should hold voters accountable for their position on the bill. Delaying it, for example, spared Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who are both up for re-election this year, a tough choice to accept a policy that could anger their conservative bases. The measure is still against it, which could alienate their independent and moderate voters.

But Ms. Baldwin’s calculations paid off; a week after the election, the measure gained enough Republican support to move forward.

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