Democrats fail to pass abortion rights legislation in Senate
Might the Supreme Court have already made up its mind?
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The Supreme Court is expected to deliver a final decision by late June. (AP)
On Wednesday, Senate Democrats failed to pass legislation that would incorporate abortion rights into federal law - reports earlier this month predicted that it is bound to fail.
Democratic lawmakers and abortion rights advocates have been upping the ante on demands to pass legislation that would codify abortion rights after a leaked document exposed a draft by the Supreme Court which seeks to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The bill which was put forward would ban states from putting restrictions on abortion.
Just days after the leaked draft was exposed, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declared that the Senate will be voting out abortion protections, falling 11 votes short out of the 60 needed to pass - all Republicans voted against the bill, accusing the abortion restrictions of being "too expansive" and the bill going "too far."
Schumer perceived the vote as one of the most important for Democrats, divulging that voters are fighting for reproductive rights as midterm elections approach, according to the New York Times.
"Republicans will have two choices: They can own the destruction of women’s rights, or they can reverse course and work to prevent the damage," Schumer said last week.
"Republicans in Congress — not one of whom voted for this bill — have chosen to stand in the way of Americans’ rights to make the most personal decisions about their own bodies, families and lives," US President Joe Biden said in a statement after the vote.
"To protect the right to choose, voters need to elect more pro-choice senators this November, and return a pro-choice majority to the House. If they do, Congress can pass this bill in January, and put it on my desk, so I can sign it into law," Biden said.
Vice President Kamala Harris said after the vote Wednesday that "the Senate failed to stand in defense of a woman's right to make decisions about her own body."
The vote "clearly suggests that the Senate is not where the majority of Americans are on this issue," she added.
