WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn both voted against federal protection for gay and interracial marriage Tuesday, though the full Senate passed the bill with bipartisan support.
The Respect for Marriage Act would require states to recognize all legally performed marriages and would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriages for the purpose of federal benefits as between a man and a woman. It passed the upper chamber on a 61-36 vote, with 12 Republicans joining all Democrats in support.
The bill is largely a safeguard against potential action by the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, which made the Defense of Marriage Act unenforceable and enshrined the right to same-sex marriages across the country. But the bill does not go as far as codifying the landmark Supreme Court decision, which mandated states to perform same-sex marriages.
