Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said Thursday that Senate Democrats are planning to force a vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act, which will codify the provisions of the Roe v. Wade decision into federal law, after a leaked Supreme Court draft opinion indicated that the Court was moving to overturn the ruling.
Speaking at a press conference in the Senate briefing room, Schumer made the announcement, flanked by fellow Democrats, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow, and Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal. Schumer said he would file the motion for cloture on Monday, likely setting up a vote on the floor of the Senate Wednesday.
“For over two decades, Republicans across the country worked to dismantle [Roe v. Wade],” Schumer said. “They worked to take away the rights of women who simply want to make their own choices and not be told by some doctor, some senator, [or] some court justice how to treat their bodies. Republican politicians across the country are passing laws telling the women of America, ‘Your body, our choice.’ So much for the party of limited government. And now, with the Republican court on the verge of tearing down five decades of precedent, Republicans suddenly don’t want to talk about their complicity in this effort. You ask them about, do they support repealing Roe v. Wade, they change the subject. What does that say? It says they know they’re on the wrong side of history and on the wrong side of the American people, and their thirty-year effort, they wish to go underground because they’re actually afraid in certain ways that it might succeed. All week, you’ve seen Republicans try to duck, dodge, and dip from their responsibility for bringing Roe to the brink of total repeal. This is about to change. Next week, the U.S. Senate is going to vote on legislation to codify a woman’s right to seek an abortion into federal law. I intend to file cloture on this vital legislation Monday, which would set up a vote for Wednesday.”
“Republicans will have two choices,” Schumer continued. “They can own the destruction of women’s rights, or they can reverse course and work to prevent the damage. Count me as skeptical that they’ll do the latter. Republicans have been on the wrong side of history and the wrong side of America.” Schumer then cited a poll from the left-wing polling firm Data for Progress that showed that a majority of respondents, 58%, want Roe to remain in place, compared to 30% who want the decision to be overturned. The poll showed that 78% of Democrats, 63% of Independents, and 35% of Republicans supported keeping the decision in place.
“Next week’s vote will be one of the most important we take,” Schumer concluded. “Not only this session, but in this century. This is not an abstract exercise. It’s as real, it’s as urgent as it gets.”
Schumer reiterated his announcement in a tweet on Thursday as well. “The Senate is going to vote next week on the Women’s Health Protection Act to codify a woman’s right to seek an abortion into federal law,” he wrote. “I will file cloture on this vital legislation Monday, and that will set up a vote Wednesday. Americans will see where every senator stands.”
The Senate is going to vote next week on the Women’s Health Protection Act to codify a woman’s right to seek an abortion into federal law.
I will file cloture on this vital legislation Monday, and that will set up a vote Wednesday.
Americans will see where every senator stands.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) May 5, 2022