Marriage equality bill clears another vote despite lobbying by Cruz, other GOP senators

A bill strengthening protections for same-sex and interracial marriage cleared another procedural vote Monday night despite lobbying to reject it by some Republicans, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. The U.S. Senate returned from the Thanksgiving holiday break for a vote to limit debate on an amendment to the Respect for Marriage Act, which requires the federal government and states to recognize the validity of same-sex and interracial marriage licenses. Monday’s vote passed 61-35. The amended Senate bill passed a key procedural hurdle 62-37 on Nov. 16, meaning 12 Republicans voted with Democrats to overcome the filibuster. In the nearly two weeks since then, Cruz and other GOP senators have urged supporters to contact and apply pressure on the 12 Republicans in hopes at least three will flip to block the bill unless another Republican-backed amendment with additional religious liberty protections is passed. “We’re going to find out today … whether three of the 12 Republicans who decided to embrace gay marriage are going to stand up for religious liberty or not,” Cruz said on his Monday podcast ahead of the vote.

Cruz co-sponsored another amendment proposed by Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, which adds more protections for religious liberty. Shortly after the initial vote, Lee released a letter urging GOP senators to vote against cloture on Monday unless his amendment is added to the bill. An additional 21 senators including Cruz and Texas Sen. John Cornyn signed the letter. “The so-called Respect for Marriage Act poses a serious threat to churches, religious charities, universities, and K-12 schools that do not embrace same-sex marriage,” Cruz said in a statement Monday to The Dallas Morning News. “I’m proud to co-sponsor my friend Mike Lee’s amendment and fight to ensure the Biden IRS cannot target people of faith for religious persecution.” Congress began pushing for marriage equality protections in response to remarks by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas urging the court to reconsider other due process precedents like Obergefell vs. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. The U.S. House passed the Respect for Marriage Act in July, which offers protections for same-sex and interracial marriages by requiring states to recognize marriages legally performed in other states. It also repeals the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman.