After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, some lawmakers on
Capitol Hill began work to shore up other rights that could come
under scrutiny. Democrats have been working to pass legislation that
upholds protections for same sex and interracial marriage. Democratic
Senator from Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin is leading the effort to get
her Republican colleagues on board and she joins me now, Senator
Baldwin welcome back.
To the news hour. We are hearing people ask this is not same sex
marriage is not something under threat right now. So why is this
legislation needed? Well, I think it is very much under threat. Not
only did one of the justices
encourage their his colleagues, too.
Revisit the case Obergefell that created marriage equality,
but the majority opinion itself.
Really put into question the legal reasoning that resulted in the
Loving versus Virginia case, the contraceptive access cases over
time and more recently over Grunfeld, so I
I know that my constituents who are in
marriages after Obergefell made them legal are very worried about
the certainty that they can protect their families with the rights
and responsibilities that a marriage certificate. Uh I couldn't confers
on them.
So what is the landscape look like right now. Politically, Senator,
You've got 50 Democrats. We assume they're all on board. Is that
right? You've got five Republicans. It's been reported. So what?
You've got 55 votes that where you are.
Well, I've had many conversations and certainly I'm working with
a team of folks, including the five Republicans who have
voiced their support to reach out and identify others. Um I have
some had conversations where people have given private assurances
that they will
Support it if it comes for a vote, but aren't willing to go public
first. So we just have to make sure that we have the votes, maybe
with a comfortable margin, even beyond the 10 and, um we also have
to just mention as an aside
right now covered us the beginning me we have several of our colleagues
who are out with Covid and
We have to have everyone present in order to address this and several
other critical issues where the votes will be really tight.
What are some of the arguments Senator that Republicans are making
to you about why they can't support this. And what do you say? What
are you saying back to them to try to change their mind? So there's
several different camps you have, obviously the people who are going
to support it who are either public or private about that. I keep
saying, if you support marriage equality than you really want to
Provide the assurance that should over Burger fell be overturned
that we will still be able to recognize marriages using the full
faith and credit clause of the U. S Constitution. That said some,
um don't feel like the threat is imminent and they're saying we should
wait until
A further point in time before securing these rights, and I just
have to say that, um, that providing the certainty is really important.
The ability to protect your family through the legal means that company
marriage is critical to folks
and then
Lastly, there are people who opposed marriage equality. And even
though it is now the law of the land
have voiced that they want to stay consistent with that view. Even
though
Obergefell is currently the law of the land.
And Senator. How much difference is it making? Do you find it when
you speak with senators who may they're not sure They want to go
along with this, but they know someone, or they have someone in their
family who is involved in a same sex, marriage or same sex relationship.
In my conversations. I feel like that's a very powerful issue.
Um
In the years since marriage equality became the law of the land.
Most of my colleagues probably now have a family member or loved
one and neighbor, a fellow congregant at their church. Somebody they
know a coworker staff member who was impacted positively by
marriage, equality, and I think it does really help.
My colleagues. Look at this, um, knowing that they have to face their
friends and neighbors after that vote, And so I'm I'm encouraged
that we've seen such progress
since
these questions came before the congress, you know, in the last decades
Um And certainly throughout the American public, the acceptance of
marriage equality, the belief that one ought to be able to marry
and protect the person they love is now I would say almost overwhelmingly
supported
We are certainly watching this as it moves along, Senator Tammy Baldwin