Supporters Lose in Gay Marriage Ban Vote

Supporters Lose in Gay Marriage Ban Vote
By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, dealing an embarrassing defeat to President Bush and Republicans who hoped to use the measure to energize conservative voters on Election Day.

Supporters knew they wouldn't achieve the two-thirds vote needed to approve a constitutional amendment, but they had predicted a gain in votes over the last time the issue came up, in 2004. Instead, they lost one vote for the amendment in a procedural test tally that ended up 49-48.

Full article here

Ah, but such a close vote!

Almost only counts in horseshoes. We've won the battle but not the war, but at least we've won the battle.

maybe we will get it when that back water jerk finally gets out of office!

It's up again for a vote next month btw.

they need a 60 in order for it to pass - 2/3 I think

The vote was actually a procedural vote called Cloture-- it was a vote to end debate and bring the real issue up for a vote. Cloture requires 60 votes to end debate and bring the bill to a vote, so this was not really a yes or no vote on the amendment itself. It will probably just languish and die now without a vote.

An amendment needs 2/3 of both House and Senate (67 Senators AND 290 House members) and then it goes to the states; 3/4 (38 states) must ratify it.

Sounds like the House will vote on this also, even though it has ZERO chance of passing! An amendment must pass BOTH House and Senate in the same session, and since it will not pass the Senate it is an exercise in futility to even bring it up in the House.

Futile election year pandering~

heres how the vote went down

Vote Counts: YEAs 49
NAYs 48
Not Voting 3


YEAs ---49
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Burr (R-NC)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-NE)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Stevens (R-AK)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

NAYs ---48
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCain (R-AZ)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Sununu (R-NH)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 3
Dodd (D-CT)
Hagel (R-NE)
Rockefeller (D-WV)

That vote wasn't even close at all. They needed a supermajority to pass it, and they couldn't even get a majority. 49 - 48

An example of a close vote was back in 1995 when the Balanced Budget Amendment received 65 YEAs, one single vote short.

I also found it interesting in the time since the last Senate vote on this amendment, they actually lost ground. Republicans Arlan Specter of PA and Judd Gregg of NH voted against cloture.... which is a switch from last time.

Kudos to Arlan Specter and John McCain for actually acting Senatorial.

It's a process.

Steve