Federal Abortion Rights Effort Fails; Pro-Rights Republicans Try Own Bill
As widely expected, a Democrat-led effort to codify abortion rights at a federal level (and cement politicians' stances into the public's minds) failed. But two Senate Republicans who do support abortion proposed their own bill — it's brief, and had no input from reproductive rights groups.
The Washington Post:
Senate Vote Blocks Bill To Codify Abortion Rights; GOP, Manchin Oppose
The Senate on Wednesday did not advance legislation that would write a constitutional right to abortion into federal law — a symbolic gesture that Democrats cast as a first step in a larger strategy to mobilize Americans around reproductive rights as the Supreme Court considers overturning Roe v. Wade and related decisions. Wednesday’s vote was 51 to 49 and well short of the 60 votes necessary under Senate rules. It was largely a reprise of a failed February vote staged by Senate Democratic leaders, but the issue has new resonance after last week’s leak of a draft opinion from Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. suggesting that the high court is poised to overturn Roe and curtail guaranteed nationwide access to abortions. (DeBonis and Roubein, 5/11)
USA Today:
Senate Fails To Pass Vote That Would Make Abortion Legal Nationally
Democrats were unable to overcome a filibuster on the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022. The effort failed 49-51. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., joined every Republican in opposition, meaning the measure would have failed even if it had mustered the 60 votes needed to send the measure to the floor for an up-or-down vote. "It is not Roe v. Wade codification, it is an expansion," Manchin said before the vote. "We should not be dividing this country further than we're already divided." The bill was not expected to pass, but Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., framed the vote as a way to put every member of the Senate on the record about their stance on abortion in the wake of the leaked decision. (Wells and King, 5/11)
NPR:
Women's Health Protection Act To Codify Abortion Protections Fails In The Senate
In a rare occurrence, Vice President Kamala Harris presided over the vote, which was 49-51.
Within minutes of the vote, President Joe Biden released a statement that "this failure to act comes at a time when women's constitutional rights are under unprecedented attack – and it runs counter to the will of the majority of American people." "We will continue to defend women's constitutional rights to make private reproductive choices as recognized in Roe v. Wade nearly half a century ago, and my Administration will continue to explore the measures and tools at our disposal to do just that," Biden said, without providing details. (Shivaram, 5/11)
Politico:
Senate Fails To Pass Abortion Rights Bill — Again
Anti-abortion activist groups like the Susan B. Anthony List had lobbied senators on both sides of the aisle to oppose the bill, and plan to run ads against any vulnerable swing-state Democrats who cast their vote for the legislation. “We’re focused on Democratic incumbents who are anywhere close to a battleground state,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of SBA List, told reporters on a Tuesday call. “Certainly [Arizona Senator] Mark Kelly would be way up there. We spent, very recently, a million dollars attacking him in Arizona for just this reason — his abortion decision.” (Ollstein and Levine, 5/11)
Republicans have their own bill —
The New York Times:
Republicans Who Support Abortion Rights Have Come Up With Their Own Bill
The two Senate Republicans who support abortion rights, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, have raised objections to the Democrats’ bill that is the subject of Wednesday’s vote, and they are promoting alternative legislation. ... Ms. Collins and Ms. Murkowski introduced their own bill, which they describe as codifying Roe v. Wade, in February. Called the Reproductive Choice Act, it is only three pages long and was written without the consultation of reproductive rights groups, according to representatives from those organizations. (Karni, 5/11)
The Washington Post:
The GOP And Where It’s Headed On Criminalizing Abortion
After the public learned last week that the Supreme Court was potentially poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, Republicans’ Senate campaign arm was quick to send out word on where the party stands — or perhaps would be wise to stand — when it comes to criminalizing abortion. “Republicans DO NOT want to throw doctors and women in jail,” said a messaging memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which was obtained by Axios. “Mothers should be held harmless under the law.” (Blake, 5/11)
