 |
|
Bush's mission crippled by lack of votes
|
June 08, 2006, 08:45
The US Senate voted down a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage yesterday, but Republicans planned a vote in the House of Representatives to keep a national spotlight on the hot-button issue.
The 49 to 48 Senate vote fell short of the 60 votes needed to clear a procedural hurdle, thwarting the efforts of George W Bush, the US president, and the mostly Republican lawmakers who said the constitution must be amended to prevent judges from striking down existing State bans on gay marriage.
Democrats accused Republicans of exploiting a divisive issue they knew would fail in order to shore up conservative support before November congressional elections and divert attention from topics like the war in Iraq that reflect poorly on the party in control of the White House and Congress.
"It is a cynical attempt to score political points by overriding state courts and intruding into individuals' private lives," Edward Kennedy, Senator of Massachusetts said in floor debate on Tuesday.
The US House of Representatives is expected to take up the marriage amendment in July, though Republican leaders do not expect it to pass there either.
"This is a big issue for lots of our members and frankly for lots of Americans," John Boehner, House Republican Leader of Ohio told reporters on Tuesday. Constitutional amendments must win approval from two-thirds of each house of the US Congress and three-quarters of state legislatures before taking effect. - Reuters
|
|
