Supreme Court May Overturn Again... US Accelerates Legislation on Same-Sex Marriage

Senate Vote Passes 62 to 37

The United States Supreme Court overturned the 1973 'Roe v. Wade' ruling, which recognized abortion rights as a constitutional right, in June and left the legislation to the 50 state governments. (Photo by BBC)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The U.S. Senate has passed a bill to protect same-sex marriage under federal law. Following the Supreme Court's overturning of abortion rights in June, bipartisan support has grown amid concerns that same-sex marriage could also be invalidated, making legalization within the year highly likely.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 16th (local time), the U.S. Senate passed the amendment to the "Respect for Marriage Act," which protects same-sex marriage by law, with 62 votes in favor and 37 against. The bill will take effect after passing the House vote and being signed by President Joe Biden.

Earlier, President Biden repeatedly expressed his support for the bill, and the House has also passed a similar same-sex marriage protection law, so WSJ reported that the bill is expected to pass smoothly.

However, foreign media pointed out that since the Republican Party regained control of the House in the midterm elections, the bill's passage cannot be guaranteed due to potential obstacles in the new congressional session starting in January next year, making passage within the year critical.

The bill, led by the Democratic Party, has accelerated its legislative process since the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 "Roe v. Wade" precedent, which guaranteed abortion rights as a constitutional right, after 50 years in June.

Concerns have grown that the conservative-leaning Supreme Court, which has issued conservative rulings on sensitive issues sharply dividing public opinion such as abortion and gun control, could also invalidate same-sex marriage rights.

In the U.S., starting with Massachusetts in 2003, each state allowed same-sex marriage through rulings and legislation, and in 2015, a Supreme Court ruling granted federal-level protection for same-sex marriage nationwide.

According to a Gallup poll conducted in May, 71% of Americans support the legalization of same-sex marriage. WSJ reported that this is a significant change compared to the 27% support rate in 1996, when the first poll on same-sex marriage legalization was conducted.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.