A dozen Senate Republicans joined with Democrats to pass a piece of pro-gay marriage legislation in a 61-36 vote on Tuesday.
The 12 GOP senators who voted for the measure included: Roy Blunt of Missouri, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Susan Collins of Maine, Joni Ernst of Iowa; Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Rob Portman of Ohio, Mitt Romney of Utah, and Todd Young of Indiana.
Another version of the bill cleared the House chamber earlier this year with support from dozens of GOP lawmakers, so the Senate-approved measure will likely sail though the House of Representatives and head to President Biden's desk.
The so-called "Respect for Marriage Act" would bar states from refusing to recognize marriages from other states on the basis of factors like sex and race. The measure also stipulates that if marital status is a concern for any federal law, individuals should be viewed as married if their marriage was valid in the state it occurred.
