Federal Marriage Amendment fails

The U.S. Senate this morning rejected the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have enshrined the definition of marriage in the U.S. Constitution as being only between a man and a woman.

Sixty votes were necessary to invoke cloture and proceed to a vote on the matter, but proponents of the measure were not even able to assemble a majority. The cloture motion failed, 49-48.

Among those who prevented the amendment from moving forward were senators from Southern states, where support for such a measure is thought to be strongest. According to the full roll call record:

Alabama: Sessions (R-AL), Yea, Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Arkansas: Lincoln (D-AR), Nay, Pryor (D-AR), Nay
Florida: Martinez (R-FL), Yea, Nelson (D-FL), Nay
Georgia: Chambliss (R-GA), Yea, Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Kentucky: Bunning (R-KY), Yea, McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Louisiana: Landrieu (D-LA), Nay, Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Maryland: Mikulski (D-MD), Nay, Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay
Mississippi: Cochran (R-MS), Yea, Lott (R-MS), Yea
North Carolina: Burr (R-NC), Yea, Dole (R-NC), Yea
South Carolina: DeMint (R-SC), Yea, Graham (R-SC), Yea
Tennessee: Alexander (R-TN), Yea, Frist (R-TN), Yea
Virginia: Allen (R-VA), Yea, Warner (R-VA), Yea
West Virginia: Byrd (D-WV), Yea, Rockefeller (D-WV), Not Voting