The Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act in a 61-36 vote Tuesday, protecting same-sex and interracial marriages at the federal level. This is Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay person elected to the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin: “I want to recognize the millions of same-sex and interracial couples who have truly made this moment possible by living their true selves and changing the hearts and minds of people around this country. Many of these same-sex and interracial couples are fearful. They’re worried that the rights, responsibilities and freedoms that they enjoy through civil marriage could be stripped away.”

The law would not stop individual states from banning same-sex marriage if the conservative-led Supreme Court overturns Obergefell v. Hodges, but it would force those states to recognize marriages from another state. Of the 12 Republicans who voted in favor of the bill, Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis said she was “vilified” for supporting the measure. The bill will now go back to the House, which is also expected to pass it, then to President Biden’s desk for signing.