Marriage debate to begin June 5; senators need contacts
- May 15, 2006
The Senate is scheduled to begin debating a constitutional marriage amendment June 5, a day after some Southern Baptist churches are expected to observe Marriage Protection Sunday.
Senators likely will vote June 6 or 7 on the Marriage Protection Amendment, S.J. Res. 1. The MPA, which defines marriage as only between a man and a woman, is designed to protect the institution against continuing legal efforts to legalize “homosexual marriage.”
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is encouraging Southern Baptist pastors to address “same-sex marriage” June 4 and ask church members to urge their senators to support the amendment.
Southern Baptists may contact senators by calling the Capitol switchboard, (202) 224-3121, and asking for their offices. Emails may be sent through the Religious Coalition for Marriage website, or the Senate site.
“Supporters of traditional marriage need to bombard their senators’ offices with emails and phone calls,” ERLC President Richard Land said, “and preachers across America need to let the pulpit ring forth in clear and no uncertain terms on Marriage Protection Sunday, June 4, and help create a groundswell of support for this amendment. I can assure you the opponents of traditional marriage are doing their best to let their voices be heard in the corridors of the Senate. It is up to us to let our voices be heard loudly as well.”
On its website, the ERLC includes suggestions for activities churches might consider for Marriage Protection Sunday: (1) The distribution of information on “same-sex marriage;” (2) sermons on the issue, and (3) encouragement for those in attendance to contact their senators June 5 or 6 to urge them to vote for the MPA.
Massachusetts is the only state to have legalized “same-sex marriage,” but supreme courts in New Jersey, New York and Washington could legitimize such unions before the end of the year.
The Senate Judiciary Committee sent the MPA to the full Senate in a 10-8 vote along party lines May 18, with Republicans in the majority. Two days before the committee’s vote, a decision in Georgia seemed to validate calls for a federal amendment. A state judge ruled May 16 Georgia’s marriage amendment, which was approved by 76 percent of voters in 2004, violates the state constitution. The amendment prohibits both “same-sex marriage” and homosexual civil unions.
Ratification of an amendment to the Constitution requires passage by a two-thirds majority of both houses of Congress and approval by three-fourths of the states. Support in the Senate will have to increase markedly from two years ago to reach the two-thirds needed to approve a constitutional amendment. Neither house of Congress came close to a two-thirds majority during votes in 2004.
That year, the Senate failed even to give an up-or-down vote to a similar amendment. Supporters gained only 48 of the 60 votes needed to halt debate and allow a vote, a procedure called invoking cloture. Fifty senators voted against cloture. Also in 2004, the House of Representatives achieved a majority with a 227-186 vote but fell far short of the votes needed for passage.
The ERLC hopes a massive outpouring of support for the amendment by Southern Baptists and others will produce the extra votes.
“We certainly don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t have more votes this time than last time,” said Barrett Duke, the ERLC’s vice president for public policy and research. “We believe that if enough senators hear from their constituents, the MPA can be passed. It’s obvious that a significant majority of Americans throughout the country do not want same-sex marriage. If that significant majority will communicate their convictions to their senators, the amendment should be passed.”