US senate: Gay marriages stay
2006-06-07 16:54
Washington - The US senate on Wednesday rejected a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
However, supporters said new votes for the measure represented progress that gave conservative Republicans reason to vote on election day.
The 49-48 vote fell 11 short of the 60 required to send the matter for an up-or-down tally by the full senate.
The amendment's failure was no surprise, but supporters said the vote reflected growing support among senators and Americans.
"We're building votes," said Republican senator David Vitter, who is among supporters of the ban who were not in the senate when the amendment was last voted on in 2004.
"That's often what's required over several years to get there, particularly to a two-thirds vote."
A majority of Americans define marriage as a union of a man and a woman, as the proposed amendment does, according to a poll out this week by ABC News.
But an equal majority opposes amending the constitution on this issue, the poll found.
- AP