Senate passes bill to protect same-sex marriage

The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to codify the right to same-sex and interracial marriage, with 12 Republicans joining Democrats to send the legislation to the House.

Why it matters: The Senate, with its 60-vote threshold, was the main obstacle to the bill’s passage, but it passed with a 61-36 vote. The House is expected to easily pass it before sending it to President Biden’s desk.

Lawmakers crafted the legislation over the summer in response to an opinion from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas that the court should reconsider Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, among other landmark rulings.

That opinion was a concurrence in the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling, which overturned the landmark abortion ruling Roe v. Wade.

Driving the news ... The 12 Republicans who voted in favor of the bill include:

Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)

Richard Burr (R-N.C.)

Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.)

Susan Collins (R-Maine)