The new date is Sep 15, 2022.
The Senate will wait until after the November elections before voting on a bill to protect same-sex marriage nationwide as Democrats struggle to win over Republican support.
The senator spoke at a press conference on May 5.
The Respect for Marriage Act will need a little more time to get to the floor according to Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
The bill's other sponsors didn't specify when they expect a vote to take place, but said in a statement they've asked for more time.
Democrats were previously optimistic a vote could come within weeks, but Baldwin said Wednesday negotiations were struggling to get 10 Republicans to side with all 50 Democrats on procedural votes.
In recent weeks, senators from both parties have tried to win GOP support for the bill by promising not to take away religious liberty or conscience protections.
The House passed an earlier version of the Respect for Marriage Act in July, with dozens of Republicans voting in favor of it.
The number of Senate Republicans who will vote for the bill is not known. Baldwin told CNN earlier this week that the original legislation was supported by just shy of ten Republicans. Susan Collins and Rob Portman were the first to sign on as cosponsors. In July, Ron Johnson told reporters he saw no reason to oppose the bill, but later said he couldn't support it.
The Defense of Marriage Act prevented same-sex couples from accessing federal benefits, and the Respect for Marriage Act would require states to recognize out-of-state same-sex marriages. The federal government and all 50 states are required to recognize same-sex marriages since the Supreme Court ruled in favor of them. Clarence Thomas wrote a concurring opinion after the Supreme Court overturned abortion rights in June. The ruling only applies to abortion rights according to Justice Samuel Alito.
Senate Democrats want to codify abortion rights into federal law, but it will be difficult since the Senate is split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. Many Democrats have pushed for legislation that would broaden abortion rights beyond the current standard, despite the fact that no other Republicans have supported the idea.
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