Women’s rights in America have taken yet another hit with the Senate voting against a bill that would make abortions legal nationwide.
The bill known as Women’s Health Protection Act, meant to expand Roe v. Wade, passed in the House last year. However, the measure failed in the Senate with a 49-51 vote back in February. Last week, the bill re-emerged after a leaked draft opinion from the Supreme Court indicated that a majority of justices intend to overturn Roe v. Wade next month. President Joe Biden promised to sign the bill if it passed Congress, but Senate Democrats were never able to get enough votes to pass it.
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke about her disdain for the negative vote following the decision.
“Sadly, the Senate failed to stand in defense of a woman’s right to decide what happens to her own body,” she stated.
A number of House members appeared at the Senate side of the Capitol moments before the vote, chanting “my body, my decision!” as they moved through the halls outside the chamber. All 50 Republicans voted against the bill, along with one Democrat, Virginia Senator Joe Manchin. The bill was approved by all other Senate Democrats. Interestingly enough, Senators Susan Collins from Maine and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska voted against the Women’s Health Protection Act for a second time, despite their prior support for abortion rights. They introduced a competing bill called the Reproductive Choice Act. Critics of the bill believe it has too many loopholes that would allow for restrictions, such as the 15-week abortion bans.
A Pew Research Center study conducted in March, just before the Supreme Court draft judgment was published, indicated that while 61% of Americans want abortion to be legal, only 19% believe it should be lawful in all situations.
