President Biden has doubled down on his push for Congress to codify Roe v. Wade protections. Wade into federal law after Senate Republicans blocked consideration of a bill Wednesday that would have established a federal right to birth control.
“@VP and I believe that women in every state should have the freedom to make deeply personal health care decisions,” Biden wrote in a post on social platform X, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris.
“We will continue to fight to protect access to reproductive health care and urge Congress to restore Roe v. Wade protections. Wade in federal law,” Biden continued.
The vote to consider the underlying bill, “The Right to Contraception Act,” failed by 51 votes to 39. The support of 60 senators is needed to bring the underlying bill to the floor for a vote.
The bill — which Republicans argued is overbroad and unnecessary — would guarantee the legal right for individuals to obtain and use contraception and for health care providers to provide contraception, contraception-related information, referrals and services. This would apply to hormonal birth control pills, the morning-after pill, intrauterine devices (IUDs), and other methods.
It would also prohibit the federal government and any state from administering or enforcing any law, rule, or regulation to prohibit or restrict the sale or use of contraceptives.
The focus on contraceptive rights comes amid an election-year effort by Democrats to focus on reproductive rights, a particularly salient issue among American voters and a political vulnerability for the Republican Party.
Democrats wanted Republicans to publicly oppose these efforts, while the GOP struggles with how to convey its position on reproductive rights in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade.
Polls consistently show that there is broad bipartisan support for birth control. According to Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs Survey released last year, 88 percent of Americans said birth control was morally acceptable.
More recently, a February impact survey commissioned by Americans for Contraception found that contraception mobilizes voters who are currently less enthusiastic about elections, including young Hispanic voters and women and voters of color.
In a March poll1 in 5 Americans said they believe access to birth control is threatened, according to the health research group KFF.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
