Senate Dems may tie marriage bill to budget

After almost a month of recess, the U.S. Senate reconvened Thursday, looking to pass a $47.1 billion package to fund the government. Current funding is set to run out on Oct. 1. Senate Democrats hope that the funding package can also act as a vehicle to pass the “Respect for Marriage Act.” The bill, which has already passed in the House of Representatives, would redefine marriage at the federal level, overriding state laws that say marriage is between one man and one woman.

Does the bill have a chance of getting passed? By tying the bill to the needed government funding, Senate Democrats are jockeying for a stronger political position. If the funding package does not pass, the government will have to shut down. While many conservatives in the Senate oppose the legislation, Democrats would only need 10 Republican votes to pass the bill. So far, Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Rob Portman of Ohio, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have expressed limited support for the Respect for Marriage Act. Portman is not seeking re-election in the fall.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s coverage of what else Congress has on its plate during the month of September.