By Karen Ocamb

To no one's surprise, the U.S. Senate rejected a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage on June 7, despite major efforts by President Bush and Republican conservatives who hoped to once again use the issue to turn out religious voters in the November elections.

The procedural vote was 49-48, 11 votes short of the 60 needed to move the amendment for formal consideration and an up-or-down vote by the Senate. The Constitution requires a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives before the proposed amendment is sent for ratification by at least 38 state legislatures. Currently, 26 states have banned same-sex marriage through statutes and 19 through constitutional amendments.

"We have 45 states that have defined marriage as a union of a man and a woman," said Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.). "Since the last time we voted in the Senate [where it failed 48-50 in 2004], we've seen a total of 14 states take this issue up on the ballot. And you've got another seven set for this fall, so we are making progress."

House Majority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) told reporters he plans to bring the measure before the House next month. "This is an issue that is of significant importance to many Americans," Boehner said. "We have significant numbers of our members who want a vote on this, so we are going to have a vote."

The debate on the Senate floor was often emotional and perplexing. Standing before an enlarged photo of his family, Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Inhofe said, “I'm really proud to say that in the recorded history of our family, we've never had a divorce or any kind of homosexual relationship.”

"All over the country, married heterosexual couples are shaking their heads and wondering how exactly the prospect of gay marriage threatens the health of their marriages," said Sen. Russell D. Feingold (D-Wis.), a possible presidential candidate.

"The Republican leadership is asking us to spend time writing bigotry into the Constitution," said Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), where same-sex marriage was legalized in 2003. "A vote for it is a vote against civil unions, against domestic partnership, against all other efforts for states to treat gays and lesbians fairly under the law."

"Does he [Kennedy] really want to suggest that over half of the United States Senate is a crew of bigots?" asked Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).

"Most Americans are not yet convinced that their elected representatives or the judiciary are likely to expand decisively the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples," said Sen. John McCain (R-Ark.), a possible presidential candidate in 2008 as is Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), who scheduled the floor debate on June 5, the 25th anniversary of the first reported cases of AIDS.

To underscore the urgency of the issue, supporters of the amendment held a daylong event at the National Press Club on June 5 and a rally outside the Capitol on June 6.

"The gays are aggressive! Gays have called war! Gays are attacking traditional marriage!" High Impact Bishop Harry Jackson shouted at the rally. "Marriage is under attack!" echoed Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.), who managed the measure on the Senate floor. "We can have anarchy!” said Rep. Katherine Harris (R-Fla.), the controversial former Florida secretary of state, according to the Washington Post.

The Heritage Foundation and the Family Research Council held the daylong June 5 event, featuring, among others, Exodus International's Alan Chambers. "Our children are being raped every day of school by what's being taught. Are you mad? I'm mad. I'm so mad. God have mercy,” said Chambers who said he's been gay-free for 14 years.

The event coincided with another official presidential prounouncement of support, this time from the Old Executive Office Building, instead of the promised Rose Garden. “You come from many backgrounds and faith traditions, yet united in this common belief: Marriage is the most fundamental institution of civilization, and it should not be redefined by activist judges,” Bush said. “You are here because you strongly support a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union of a man and a woman, and I am proud to stand with you.”

In the audience was Focus on the Family founder James Dobson. Last October Dobson predicted on his radio show that allowing same-sex marriage would lead to "group marriage," "marriage between daddies and little girls," or "marriage between a man and his donkey," according to Media Matters for America. On his June 7 show, the group's president Jim Daly called the ban "more important than the war, more important than sickness," and predicted that if it failed, "civilization will go down."

According to an ABC News poll, 58 percent say same-sex marriage should be illegal, but 42 percent say it rises to the level of amending the U.S. However, among conservative Republicans and evangelical white Protestants, opposition soars to over 85 percent, with two-thirds supporting a constitutional amendment. “While an amendment banning gay marriage is not broadly popular, it matters most—in a way that potentially could motivate voter turnout—to those in the pro-amendment minority. And voter motivation matters, especially in customarily low-turnout midterm elections,” says ABC News.

Many question the motive behind the amendment, especially given Bush's sagging approval numbers and the distraction from other critical issues. ''Why is it when Republicans are all for reducing the federal government's impact on people's lives until it comes to these stinging litmus test issues, whether gay marriage or end of life, they suddenly want the federal government to intervene?'' Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) rhetorically asked The Associated Press. “It makes no sense other than throwing red meat to a certain constituency.''

"What the president needs to do is look like a leader, not be somebody who looks like a politician who is overreacting to polls," Republican strategist Ed Rollins told The New York Times. "If anything, he is reminding people of what they don't like about the Republican Party."