My view is that the Equal Protection Clause should be ample enough to protect same sex and interracial marriages, especially in this day and age.
Then along came Dobbs, which forecasts that it might be OK for Crazytown state legislatures (i.e. GOP controlled state legislatures) to enact laws prohibiting same sex or interracial marriages. Such jurisprudence by SCOTUS scared the shit out of an overwhelming portion of the electorate.
The bipartisan Respect for Marriage Act —which still needs to go back to the House, — is the result.
The landmark legislation reflects the “will of the people.” It is preemptive.
Link: Text of bill — presumably modified in Senate