ChuckD
The Gay Lord of Freestyle
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Efforts to pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage foundered Wednesday afternoon, when the proposal failed to garner enough votes to stay alive.
After final arguments by the leaders of each party, a partial vote count made it clear that GOP leaders would not get the 60 votes they needed to overcome a procedural hurdle and move the proposed amendment to the floor.
"In 217 years, we've only amended that sacred document 17 times," said Sen. Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota. "There have been 11,000 separate attempts."
Republicans originally had expected they would win a majority, if not the 67 votes required for the 100-member body to pass a constitutional amendment.
In doing so, they were seeking to force the Democrats' presumed presidential ticket -- Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina -- to vote against the amendment.
But in the last two days, a number of Republicans have indicated they will not vote for the measure, leaving GOP leaders red-faced over their failure to muster support.
The amendment, as originally proposed by Republican Sen. Wayne Allard of Colorado, would add these two sentences to the Constitution:
"Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."
Some Republicans objected to the second sentence, saying it was so ambiguous that it also could prevent states from allowing gays and lesbians to join in civil unions.
:yeey :yeey It was a rough day today....I needed this! :yeey :yeey
After final arguments by the leaders of each party, a partial vote count made it clear that GOP leaders would not get the 60 votes they needed to overcome a procedural hurdle and move the proposed amendment to the floor.
"In 217 years, we've only amended that sacred document 17 times," said Sen. Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota. "There have been 11,000 separate attempts."
Republicans originally had expected they would win a majority, if not the 67 votes required for the 100-member body to pass a constitutional amendment.
In doing so, they were seeking to force the Democrats' presumed presidential ticket -- Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and John Edwards of North Carolina -- to vote against the amendment.
But in the last two days, a number of Republicans have indicated they will not vote for the measure, leaving GOP leaders red-faced over their failure to muster support.
The amendment, as originally proposed by Republican Sen. Wayne Allard of Colorado, would add these two sentences to the Constitution:
"Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than the union of a man and a woman."
Some Republicans objected to the second sentence, saying it was so ambiguous that it also could prevent states from allowing gays and lesbians to join in civil unions.
:yeey :yeey It was a rough day today....I needed this! :yeey :yeey
