“We’re talking about our family members, neighbors, co-workers, friends,” Ms Collins said. “It promotes the rights of married couples, same-sex and interracial couples, who marry each other, and it promotes freedom of religion.”
Speaking to Republican colleagues who voted in favor of the bill, Ms. Collins said: “I know it wasn’t easy, but they got it right.”
In the end, 12 Republicans voted for the bill: Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri; Richard M. Burr and Thom Tillis, both in North Carolina; Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia; Ms. Collins; Joni Ernst of Iowa; Ms. Lummis; Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both in Alaska; Rob Portman of Ohio; Mitt Romney of Utah; and Todd Young of Indiana.
Republican Senators Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Patrick J. Toomey of Pennsylvania – both nearing retirement – did not vote, said Senator Raphael Warnock, Democrat of Georgia, who is still campaigning for re-election. running before the vote on December 6, too.
After the bill passed the House in the summer, momentum on the legislation was marked in September after Senate Democrats instead moved forward with the Inflation Reduction Act and halted the bill. marriage law until after the midterm elections, bowing to the request of Ms. Baldwin, who believes she will be more successful in garnering votes from Republicans after the vote.
That calculation has worried some progressive Democrats, who argue that Republicans must answer to voters about their position on the bill. Delaying it, for example, has helped Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, both set to run for re-election this year, to bypass a difficult choice between accepting a measure. legislation could anger their conservative base and oppose it, potentially alienating them. independent and moderate voters.
But Mrs. Baldwin’s calculation paid off; A week after the election, the measure had too many Republicans to take.
