3 in 5 voters support a federal same-sex marriage law: poll

Three in 5 Americans support a federal law protecting the right to same-sex marriage, according to a new poll released Wednesday, a day before the Senate tabled a vote on such legislation.

The Respect for Marriage Act was expected to come to the Senate floor next week, but its lead Democratic negotiator, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (Wis.), said Thursday it’s now on hold until after the midterms.  

The bill would make marriage a constitutional right regardless of a couple’s sex, race, ethnicity or national origin. 

A new Morning Consult-Politico poll found that 59 percent of voters surveyed support Congress codifying same-sex marriage rights with a federal law, with 42 percent expressing strong support. 

Three-quarters of Democrats and 62 percent of independents polled were supportive of the action, compared with just 38 percent of Republicans. 

Republicans were the most likely to report strong opposition, at 38 percent, compared to 11 percent of Democrats who said they were strongly opposed to Congress passing such legislation. 

Other recent polls show Americans’ support for same-sex marriage has hit record highs, and support for legislation to codify the right into federal law has garnered favor in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade’s constitutional abortion rights.

In a concurring opinion on the June decision, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said the court should reconsider past rulings that secured the right to access contraceptives and the right to same-sex marriage, among others.

The Respect for Marriage Act passed the House in July. 

Conducted Sept. 9-11, the Morning Consult-Politico poll surveyed 2,006 registered voters and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.