The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Senate passes bill to protect same-sex, interracial marriages

Updated November 29, 2022 at 11:06 p.m. EST|Published November 29, 2022 at 12:19 p.m. EST
By a 61-36 vote, the Senate passed a bill on Nov. 29 with bipartisan support that protects marriage equality for same-sex and interracial couples. (Video: The Washington Post)
6 min

The Senate on Tuesday passed the Respect for Marriage Act, which would enshrine marriage equality in federal law, granting protections to same-sex and interracial couples.

The bill passed in a 61-36 vote, with 12 Republicans joining Democrats to vote for it. Three senators did not vote. The bill includes a bipartisan amendment that clarifies protections for religious liberties, and it will now return to the House for another vote before it can go to President Biden to sign into law.