The U.S. Senate most likely will not
vote on a bill that seeks to protect same-sex marriage until
September.
According to Reuters, Democrats, who
control the Senate, will first work on a $430 billion climate change
and drug pricing bill announced last week.
The House approved the Respect for
Marriage Act last month with the support of 47 Republicans. The bill
was first introduced in 2009 by New York Representative Jerrold
Nadler, a Democrat. Nadler said that it was important to codify the
Supreme Court's marriage equality opinion in Obergefell after
it struck down Roe v. Wade, which like Obergefell was
based on the right to privacy.
The bill needs the support of 10
Republicans to clear the Senate. Five GOP senators have said they
would vote for the measure.
The delay could cost votes, Reuters
reported.
“Proponents of the bill worry that
waiting could cause support to dwindle as opponents ramp up pressure
on fellow Republicans to oppose it, according to a source familiar
with the Senate negotiations,” the outlet wrote.
Axios reported that Democrats are
considering some changes to the bill to increase Republican support.
Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin, the
Senate's first openly gay member, told Axios that backers are
discussing providing “more clarity that the legislation would not
take away any religious liberty or conscience protections.”
Changing or adding new language to the
bill would require another vote in the House in an already crowded
calendar.