Madison Reporter

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) is hoping everything about the recent passage of the Respect for Marriage Act comes to be known as a unifying time in this country.

“Whether it’s a family member, a friend or a staffer we all know someone who is in a same-sex or interracial marriage,” Baldwin tweeted after the measure easily passed the Senate 61-36 to move one step closer to be the law of the land.

“That’s why I’m working across party lines to ensure their marriages are protected,” she added.

With the measure now pegged for a full House vote, The Defense of Marriage Act, which over the last quarter century has defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman and gives states the authority to refuse to honor same-sex unions performed in other states, could soon be a thing of the past.

Under the Respect Act, marriage equality would be recognized as a federal statute, meaning marriages between same-sex and interracial couples would also be legally protected anywhere across the country. While states still will not be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, The Washington Post reports such unions would be legally protected, including in instances where they were performed in other states.

After serving six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the Wisconsin State Assembly, Baldwin’s current term runs through 2025, after she was last elected in 2018.