The US House of Representatives has approved a bill forbidding federal judges from forcing one state to recognise a same-sex marriage licensed in another.

The proposal was passed last night after the Republican-led House rejected concerns the measure may be unconstitutional, Reuters reported.

The bill has been sent to the Senate where members of both parties said it will probably die. Just last week the Senate easily blocked a bid pushed by President George Bush to amend the Constitution to define marriage as a union strictly between a man and a woman.

Democrats this week accused Bush and fellow Republicans of pushing the proposals merely to rally their conservative base for the November presidential election.