WASHINGTON D.C.- The U.S. Senate cleared a major procedural hurdle to enshrine protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, though it did so without the support of Nebraska’s two senators.

Sen. Deb Fischer, citing concerns over religious liberties, joined 36 of her Republican colleagues in voting against advancing the legislation, while Sen. Ben Sasse missed the vote to stay in Nebraska, where his wife, Melissa, was recovering from a seizure.

The vote certainly would have laid eyes on Senator Sasse since same-sex marriages are one of the biggest items that have been used to attack him in his new role as the president of the University of Florida. It is not clear what the Senator's vote on the subject would have been.

Sasse’s selection to lead Florida’s flagship university drew opposition from students and staff, who expressed concern over the senator’s stance on same-sex marriage. During his first visit to campus, he faced a large student protest that prompted a temporary ban on protests inside campus buildings.

The legislation would repeal the Clinton-era Defense of Marriage Act and require states to recognize all marriages that were legal where they were performed. The new law would also protect interracial marriages by requiring states to recognize legal marriages regardless of “sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin.”

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