The fight to protect same-sex marriage

A new bill is making its way through Congress that would protect the right to same-sex marriage on the federal level. The Respect for Marriage Act passed the House with the support of 47 Republicans.

Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay member of the U.S. Senate, is leading the charge to secure the 10 Republican votes needed for the bill to pass in her chamber of Congress.

The push in Congress comes after Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a concurring opinion in the Dobbs v. Jackson’s Women’s Health decision suggesting that the court should reconsider Obergefell v. Hodges. The right to same-sex marriage has been protected under the Obergefell decision since 2015.

Pew Research polling in 2014 found just 27 percent of Republicans supported same-sex marriage. A Gallup poll in 2021 found more than 55 percent of registered Republicans now support it.

What’s in the bill? And does it have a chance to pass a gridlocked Senate?