Senate Democrats fell short in a rushed effort to codify Roe v. Wade abortion access as federal law, blocked by a Republican filibuster.
The Women's Health Protection Act is dead on the Senate floor. The bill's failure to advance comes as the Democratic Party faces enormous pressure to take action on abortion rights amid fears that the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling will soon be struck down. The final tally was 49 to 51, with Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia joining with Republicans to vote against the measure and stop it from advancing.
If Senate members of the GOP were willing to stand up for American women the @VP could have cast the deciding vote. Instead, Republicans allowed American women to become second-class citizens and inferior to men who lack the right to make their own decisions about their family planning future and their personal health care.
US Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Majority Leader and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) spoke to reporters after the Senate blocked consideration of the Women’s Health Protection Act codifying abortion rights.
Senators votes 49-51 to block consideration of the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would protect a woman’s right to have an abortion. Sixty votes were needed to debate and amend the bill. https://www.c-span.org/video/?520094-1/senate-votes-block-bill-codifyin…;
Democrats hoped to send a political message, particularly in states with Senate races this November that could determine party control of the chamber. The vote came as both parties tried to navigate the expected ruling, which, if a draft published by Politico last week stands, would allow states to set their own abortion policies.
51 senators voted against codifying reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy into law. These 15 face reelection this November. Remember their names when you vote. https://twitter.com/RBReich/status/1524488059936514048?s=20&t=jwFcRvxKy…
GOP says Democrats' peaceful protests mob rule
The almost party-line tally promises to be the first of several efforts in Congress to preserve the court ruling.
https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-us-supreme-court-filibusters-…
Senate fails to make Roe v. Wade law of land amid expected Supreme Court opinion curbing abortion rights
The vote was anticipated to fail, but Democrats argued it was a way to put every senator on the record about their position on abortion. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/05/11/senate-vote-abo…
The U.S. Senate held a procedural vote on legislation codifying women's rights to abortion nationwide. The vote, coming after the leak of a draft #SCOTUS ruling, headed toward defeat amid heavy Republican opposition reut.rs/39cYzvf 1/4