“The SAME [Social Security and Marriage Equality] Act will provide fairness and equality for legally married same-sex couples under the Social Security Act, regardless of where they live,” Baldwin said on Tuesday.
“While I am hopeful the Supreme Court will soon remove the necessity of such measures, I am proud to join this effort to build on our nation’s founding belief that all Americans are created free and equal under the law,” Baldwin added.
“Where you live should not determine whether your family is economically secure following the death of a spouse, and it shouldn't prevent your family from receiving the benefits you have earned,” US Senator Patty Murray, who co-sponsored the legislation, said in the statement.
A wide array of advocate organizations supported the bill including Human Rights Campaign, Social Security Works and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, according to the statement.
Thirty-seven US states and the District of Columbia, which are home to some 70 percent of the US population, allow same-sex marriages.
The US Supreme Court said in March that a landmark hearing on whether states may ban same-sex marriage would take place on April 28.
