Sep. 16, 2022: Same-sex marriage bill will have to wait

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe, many Democrats pushed for legislation codifying the right to same-sex marriage, lest it, too, be taken away by the high court. Over the past two months, those efforts gained momentum thanks to the efforts of a small bipartisan group that saw a path to winning support from the requisite 10 Senate Republicans, raising hopes that a bill would soon hit Biden’s desk. 

Those dreams are now on hold through (at least) the midterms, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), the bill’s chief sponsor, told reporters on Thursday. “Earlier in the day, the group of five senators leading talks on the bill recommended to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that a vote occur after the election after several Republicans called for a delay,” writes Burgess Everett. “Democrats had planned to hold a vote as soon as Monday.” 

There’s a real risk to this approach: If Republicans are able to flip the Senate, there could be little appetite to jump on board and support a Democratic priority during a lame-duck session. 

Senate reporter Marianne LeVine joins Playbook Daily Briefing to explain how we got here and where the bill might go next.

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