Senate Republicans block Democratic bill codifying Roe v. Wade abortion protections
Senate Republicans blocked legislation supporting Roe v. Wade, as Democrats push abortion messaging in the 2024 elections.
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked legislation led by Democrats to revive the protections of Roe v. Wade in the wake of the Supreme Court eliminating the nationwide right to abortion.
The vote was 49-44, falling short of the super-majority needed to defeat a filibuster due to broad opposition from Republicans, who dismissed it as a political stunt.
The Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, introduced last month around the second anniversary of the court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, is just a few sentences long. It states that “protections for access to abortion rights and other reproductive health care” after the 2022 ruling “should be supported.” It adds that “the protections enshrined in Roe v. Wade ... should be restored and built upon, moving towards a future where there is reproductive freedom for all.”
It’s part of a series of reproductive rights bills that Senate Democrats, who narrowly control the chamber 51-49, have forced votes on ahead of the 2024 elections.
"Will Republicans stand with the majority of Americans, stand with the mainstream, and stand against Donald Trump by affirming a woman’s fundamental right to choose?" Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said before the vote.
Rating: 5