The Senate has passed legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriage.

The plan would establish government protections for same-sex weddings while repealing the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

On Tuesday, the Senate capped a controversial and dizzying lame-duck session by passing a bipartisan bill to codify federal safeguards for same-sex and interracial marriages - a key step toward protecting the partnerships if the rights go the way of abortion at....