The fine print of the Respect for Marriage Act

Let’s start with the positive: Republicans and Democrats are coming together to protect same-sex marriage from the Supreme Court.

The Respect for Marriage Act codifies marriages and came about amid worries among Democrats that the same conservative majority on the Supreme Court that took away the right to abortion will target same-sex marriage in the future.

The version that overcame a filibuster in the Senate passed the Senate Tuesday. A dozen Republican senators from across the country voted with Democrats before Thanksgiving to limit debate and move toward a final...