Poli Alert Political & Civics
Related Articles
The House passed the Women’s Health Protection Act on Friday as part of the Democrats’ efforts to protect abortion rights established under the 1973 Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade.
As a federal law, the bill would overrule and pre-empt restrictive abortion-related laws at the state level, such as Texas’ S.B. 8 law which bans abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy, and ensure a woman’s right to have an abortion.
The Women’s Health Protection Act passed along party lines 218-211, meeting the 218 minimum number of votes required. Only one Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, voted against the bill, NBC News reported.
The bill is not likely to make it through the Senate unless at least 10 Republicans support the bill, which would result in meeting the 60-vote threshold needed to block a filibuster.
During a press conference in front of the Capitol, before the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the bill was concerning freedom.
“This is about freedom, about freedom from, about freedom of women have choices on the size and timing of their families, [which is] not the business of people on the court or members of Congress about themselves,” she said.
Pelosi also discussed the Supreme Court’s decision not to block Texas’ S.B. 8 law, which also allows private citizens to sue anyone who receives or performs an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected – typically about six weeks into the pregnancy.
“When this court embraced this shameful Texas law they brought shame to the United States Supreme Court because they were embracing something which was counter to the precedent of the court that’s upheld Roe v. Wade as constitutional,” said Pelosi.
The Supreme Court will review a case dealing with a restrictive abortion law in Mississippi in December.
After the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tweeted his support, “Congress must protect the constitutional right to abortion. We’re proud the House passed Women’s Health Protection Act. The Senate will vote soon.”
