Frist again vows
to bring marriage amendment to a vote

The U.S. Senate will debate and vote on a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would forever ban same-sex marriage, Senate majority leader Bill Frist again promised this week. Debate will begin a week from Monday on the amendment, which would define marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

Critics of the move say the amendment does not have the votes to pass and have accused Senate Republicans of pandering to the Christian right by holding a vote on it during an election year. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid on Friday called on Bush Republicans in the Senate to put aside their partisan agenda and tackle the issues that matter most to Americans.

"Today, Bush Republicans kicked off their campaign of dividing the country instead of addressing the real priorities of American families," Reid said. "Our country faces great challenges: record high gas prices, skyrocketing health care costs, and an intractable war in Iraq. Yet instead of addressing these issues, Senator Frist has chosen to put the politics of division ahead of real progress by pushing for a debate on a divisive amendment that will write discrimination into the Constitution." (The Advocate)