WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is set to vote Tuesday on legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages, putting Congress one step closer to passing the landmark bill and ensuring that such unions are enshrined in federal law.
Senate Democrats are moving quickly, while the party still holds the majority in both chambers of Congress, to pass the bill requiring that such unions are legally recognized nationwide. The House would still have to vote on the legislation and send it to President Joe Biden.
kAm%96 3:== 92D 82:?65 DE625J >@>6?EF> D:?46 E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^23@CE:@?\DFAC6>6\4@FCE\564:D:@?\gdc7e_b_a7a`4a4bd`ah6dg47g5g2f3_Qm$FAC6>6 r@FCE’D yF?6 564:D:@? E92E @G6CEFC?65 E96 7656C2= C:89E E@ 2? 23@CE:@?k^2m[ 2?5 4@>>6?ED 7C@> yFDE:46 r=2C6?46 %9@>2D 2E E96 E:>6 E92E DF886DE65 D2>6\D6I >2CC:286 4@F=5 2=D@ 4@>6 F?56C E9C62E] q:A2CE:D2? $6?2E6 ?68@E:2E:@?D <:4<\DE2CE65 E9:D DF>>6C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^23@CE:@?\C246\2?5\6E9?:4:EJ\82J\C:89ED\>2CC:286\D@4:2=\:DDF6D\ff64e6a2e_3dhh_4627f4bhe766ca_`eQm27E6C cf #6AF3=:42?D F?6IA64E65=J G@E65 7@C 2 w@FD6 3:==k^2m 2?5 82G6 DFAA@CE6CD ?6H @AE:>:D>]k^Am
kAm%96 =68:D=2E:@? H@F=5 ?@E 4@5:7J E96 $FAC6>6 r@FCE’D a_`d ~36C8676== G] w@586D 564:D:@? E92E =682=:K65 82J >2CC:286 ?2E:@?H:56 @C 7@C46 2?J DE2E6 E@ 2==@H D2>6\D6I 4@FA=6D E@ >2CCJ] qFE :E H@F=5 C6BF:C6 DE2E6D E@ C64@8?:K6 2== >2CC:286D E92E H6C6 =682= H96C6 E96J H6C6 A6C7@C>65[ 2?5 AC@E64E 4FCC6?E D2>6\D6I F?:@?D] xE H@F=5 2=D@ AC@E64E :?E6CC24:2= >2CC:286D 3J C6BF:C:?8 DE2E6D E@ C64@8?:K6 =682= >2CC:286D C682C5=6DD @7 “D6I[ C246[ 6E9?:4:EJ[ @C ?2E:@?2= @C:8:?]”k^Am
kAm“%96 C:89ED @7 2== >2CC:65 4@FA=6D H:== ?6G6C ECF=J 36 D276 H:E9@FE E96 AC@A6C AC@E64E:@?D F?56C 7656C2= =2H[ 2?5 E92E’D H9J E96 #6DA64E 7@C |2CC:286 p4E 😀 ?646DD2CJ[” |2;@C:EJ {6256C r9F4< $49F>6C[ s\}]*][ D2:5 @? E96 $6?2E6 7=@@C 367@C6 2 E6DE G@E6 |@?52J]k^Am
kAm!2DD286 @7 E96 =68:D=2E:@? H@F=5 36 2 >2;@C G:4E@CJ 7@C s6>@4C2ED 2D E96J FD96C @FE E96:C EH@ J62CD @7 4@?D@=:52E65 A@H6C 😕 (2D9:?8E@?[ 2?5 2 >2DD:G6 H:? 7@C 25G@42E6D H9@ 92G6 366? AFD9:?8 7@C 564256D 7@C 7656C2= =68:D=2E:@? =682=:K:?8 D2>6 D6I >2CC:286D]k^Am
kAm$49F>6C D2:5 :E 😀 ?@E23=6 E92E E96 $6?2E6 😀 6G6? 92G:?8 E96 5632E6] “p 564256 28@[ :E H@F=5 92G6 DEC2:?65 2== @7 @FC :>28:?2E:@?D E@ 6?G:D:@? 3@E9 D:56D E2=<:?8 23@FE AC@E64E:?8 E96 C:89ED @7 D2>6\D6I >2CC:65 4@FA=6D[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^D2>6\D6I\>2CC:286\D6?2E6\56>@4C2ED\5_h5cf`e`_a47__ba`a323`7hf_6e2c`QmE6DE G@E6 |@?52J 6G6?:?8 >@G65 E96 =68:D=2E:@? 4=@D6C E@ A2DD286k^2m[ H:E9 `a #6AF3=:42?D H9@ 92G6 AC6G:@FD=J DFAA@CE65 E96 3:== G@E:?8 282:? E@ >@G6 :E 7@CH2C5] s6>@4C2ED D6E FA 2 %F6D52J 27E6C?@@? G@E6 27E6C #6AF3=:42?D ?68@E:2E65 G@E6D @? E9C66 v~! 2>6?5>6?ED E92E H@F=5 AC@E64E E96 C:89ED @7 C6=:8:@FD :?DE:EFE:@?D 2?5 @E96CD E@ DE:== @AA@D6 DF49 >2CC:286D]k^Am
kAm$FAA@CE6CD @7 E96 =68:D=2E:@? D2J E9@D6 2>6?5>6?ED 2C6 F??646DD2CJ 3642FD6 E96J 2C6 2=C625J 2>6?5:?8 E96 3:== E@ 4=2C:7J E92E :E 5@6D ?@E 27764E C:89ED @7 AC:G2E6 :?5:G:5F2=D @C 3FD:?6DD6D E92E 2C6 4FCC6?E=J 6?D9C:?65 😕 =2H] %92E 2>6?5>6?E H@F=5 2=D@ >2<6 4=62C E92E 2 >2CC:286 😀 36EH66? EH@ A6@A=6[ 2? 677@CE E@ H2C5 @77 D@>6 72C\C:89E 4C:E:4:D> E92E E96 =68:D=2E:@? 4@F=5 6?5@CD6 A@=J82>J]k^Am
kAm#6AF3=:42? $6?] %9@> %:==:D @7 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2[ H9@ 92D 366? =@33J:?8 9:D 76==@H v~! D6?2E@CD E@ DFAA@CE E96 =68:D=2E:@? 7@C >@?E9D[ A@:?ED E@ E96 ?F>36C @7 C6=:8:@FD 8C@FAD H9@ 2C6 DFAA@CE:?8 E96 3:==[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 r9FC49 @7 y6DFD r9C:DE @7 {2EE6C\52J $2:?ED] $@>6 @7 E9@D6 8C@FAD H6C6 A2CE @7 ?68@E:2E:@?D @? E96 3:A2CE:D2? 2>6?5>6?E]k^Am
kAm“%96J D66 E9:D 2D 2 DE6A 7@CH2C5 7@C C6=:8:@FD 7C665@>[” %:==:D D2JD]k^Am
kAm%96 ?62C=J `f\>:==:@? >6>36C[ &E29\32D65 72:E9 D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9 E92E 49FC49 5@4EC:?6 H@F=5 4@?E:?F6 E@ 4@?D:56C D2>6\D6I C6=2E:@?D9:AD E@ 36 282:?DE v@5’D 4@>>2?5>6?ED] *6E :E D2:5 :E H@F=5 DFAA@CE C:89ED 7@C D2>6\D6I 4@FA=6D 2D =@?8 2D E96J 5:5?’E :?7C:?86 FA@? C6=:8:@FD 8C@FAD’ C:89E E@ 36=:6G6 2D E96J 49@@D6]k^Am
kAm%96 DFAA@CE @7 D@>6 C6=:8:@FD 8C@FAD C67=64E E96 492?8:?8 AF3=:4 D6?E:>6?E @? E96 :DDF6 — C646?E A@==:?8 92D 7@F?5 >@C6 E92? EH@\E9:C5D @7 E96 AF3=:4 DFAA@CED D2>6\D6I F?:@?D] qFE r@?8C6DD 92D 366? D=@H6C E@ 24E]k^Am
kAm|@DE #6AF3=:42?D DE:== @AA@D6 E96 =68:D=2E:@?[ D2J:?8 :E 😀 F??646DD2CJ 2?5 4:E:?8 4@?46C?D 23@FE C6=:8:@FD =:36CE:6D] p?5 D@>6 4@?D6CG2E:G6 8C@FAD DE6AA65 FA @AA@D:E:@? 😕 C646?E H66<D]k^Am
kAm“pD x 2?5 @E96CD 92G6 2C8F65 7@C J62CD[ >2CC:286 😀 E96 6I4=FD:G6[ =:76=@?8[ 4@?;F82= F?:@? 36EH66? @?6 >2? 2?5 @?6 H@>2?[ 2?5 2?J 56A2CEFC6 7C@> E92E 56D:8? 9FCED E96 :?5:DA6?D23=6 8@2= @7 92G:?8 6G6CJ 49:=5 C2:D65 😕 2 DE23=6 9@>6 3J E96 >@> 2?5 525 H9@ 4@?46:G65 9:>[” E96 w6C:E286 u@F?52E:@?VD #@86C $6G6C:?@[ G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 5@>6DE:4 A@=:4J[ HC@E6 😕 2 C646?E 3=@8 A@DE 2C8F:?8 282:?DE E96 3:==]k^Am
kAmx? 2? 677@CE E@ H:? E96 `_ #6AF3=:42? G@E6D ?646DD2CJ E@ @G6C4@>6 2 7:=:3FDE6C 😕 E96 d_\d_ $6?2E6[ s6>@4C2ED 56=2J65 4@?D:56C2E:@? F?E:= 27E6C E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^a_aa\>:5E6C>\6=64E:@?DQm>:5E6C> 6=64E:@?Dk^2m[ 9@A:?8 E92E H@F=5 C6=:6G6 A@=:E:42= AC6DDFC6 @? D@>6 v~! D6?2E@CD H9@ >:89E 36 H2G6C:?8]k^Am
kAm%96 56=2J 2AA62C65 E@ H@C<[ 2?5 6G6?EF2= DFAA@CE 7C@> EH6=G6 #6AF3=:42?D 82G6 s6>@4C2ED E96 G@E6D E96J ?66565]k^Am
kAmp=@?8 H:E9 %:==:D[ |2:?6 $6?] $FD2? r@==:?D 2?5 ~9:@ $6?] #@3 !@CE>2? DFAA@CE65 E96 3:== 62C=J @? 2?5 =@33:65 E96:C v~! 4@==628F6D E@ DFAA@CE :E] p=D@ G@E:?8 7@C E96 =68:D=2E:@? 😕 EH@ E6DE G@E6D H6C6 #6AF3=:42? $6?D] #:492C5 qFCC @7 }@CE9 r2C@=:?2[ %@55 *@F?8 @7 x?5:2?2[ $96==6J |@@C6 r2A:E@ @7 (6DE ‘:C8:?:2[ |:EE #@>?6J @7 &E29[ y@?: tC?DE @7 x@H2[ #@J q=F?E @7 |:DD@FC:[ rJ?E9:2 {F>>:D @7 (J@>:?8 2?5 {:D2 |FC<@HD<: 2?5 s2? $F==:G2? @7 p=2D<2]k^Am
kAm%96 8C@H:?8 v~! DFAA@CE 7@C E96 :DDF6 😀 2 D92CA 4@?EC2DE 7C@> 6G6? 2 564256 28@[ H96? >2?J #6AF3=:42?D G@42==J @AA@D65 D2>6\D6I >2CC:286D]k^Am
kAm(:D4@?D:? $6?] %2>>J q2=5H:?[ 2 s6>@4C2E H9@ 😀 E96 7:CDE @A6?=J 82J D6?2E@C 2?5 92D 366? H@C<:?8 @? 82J C:89ED :DDF6D 7@C 2=>@DE 7@FC 564256D[ D2:5 62C=:6C E9:D >@?E9 E92E E96 ?6H7@F?5 @A6??6DD 7C@> >2?J #6AF3=:42?D @? E96 DF3;64E C6>:?5D 96C “@7 E96 2C4 @7 E96 {qv%” >@G6>6?E E@ 368:? H:E9[ 😕 E96 62C=J 52JD H96? A6@A=6 H6C6?’E @FE 2?5 A6@A=6 <?6H 82J A6@A=6 3J >JE9D 2?5 DE6C6@EJA6D]”k^Am
kAmq2=5H:?[ E96 =625 $6?2E6 ?68@E:2E@C @? E96 =68:D=2E:@?[ D2:5 E92E 2D >@C6 :?5:G:5F2=D 2?5 72>:=:6D 92G6 364@>6 G:D:3=6[ 962CED 2?5 >:?5D 92G6 492?865]k^Am
kAm“p?5 D=@H=J =2HD 92G6 7@==@H65[” D96 D2:5] “xE 😀 9:DE@CJ]”k^Am
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
