The Senate defeated an amendment to the health care legislation that would suspend the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses in the District Thursday.

The amendment, proposed on Tuesday by Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah), would have forced the District to call a referendum on whether or not its marriage bureau can issue same-sex marriage licenses. The amendment would have been attached to the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, which President Obama signed into law on Tuesday.

Opponents have tried to block the passing of same-sex marriage in the District multiple times since last fall, including the proposal of a referendum to define marriage as between a man and woman. The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics rejected the referendum on Nov. 17. Bishop Harry Jackson, who proposed November’s measure, also filed a last-minute request to the U.S. Supreme Court on March 1 to prevent the bill from taking effect on March 3.

“The unelected District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics and the unelected District of Columbia Superior Court thwarted the residents’ initiative effort to define marriage democratically,” the amendment said.

The amendment fell 59 to 36 during a Thursday vote at 1:16 a.m. on Thursday.

The amendment’s defeat came just over three weeks after the District began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. After passing in the D.C. Council on Dec. 15, the legislation had to clear a congressional review period in which Congress could have defeated the bill.

The vote on the amendment was primarily along party lines, with the exception of Sen. Olympia Snow (R-Maine) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), who voted with the Democrats to defeat it.

“The definition of marriage affects every person, and should be debated openly, lawfully and democratically,” Bennett said in a press release on Wednesday, before his amendment was struck down.

On March 11, Bennett attempted an amendment to the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization bill that would similarly have barred the District from issuing licenses to same- sex couples pending a referendum. That amendment was ruled out of order, The Washington Post reported.

“No sooner had we finished celebrating our new marriage equality law than the Bennett amendment became the first of counterattacks I expect all session,” Norton said at a Capital reception in early March, according to a press release from her office. “But I abide no pessimism about turning them back.”

Norton said in the release that she was holding daily vigils because she expected future attacks similar to Bennett’s.

Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) introduced a resolution in January to the House of Representatives. The resolution did not receive a hearing.