Senate Democrats prepare to launch a big fight for reproductive rights
Senate Democrats are planning to make June Reproductive Rights Month, commemorating the anniversaries of Roe v. Wade in 1973 and Dobbs v. Jackson Womens’ Health that overturned it in 2022. With the Supreme Court ready to rule on access to both abortion pills and emergency abortions, they should have plenty of fodder. But Donald Trump gave them even more with his gaffe Tuesday suggesting that he’s coming up with an “interesting” and “very comprehensive policy” on birth control. Never mind that he tried to walk it back—he put it out there, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer grabbed it up. Schumer announced Wednesday that he is fast-tracking the Right to Contraception Act next month, so Republicans will be on record blocking it. “Contraception is a critical piece of protecting women’s reproductive freedoms, standing as nothing short of a vital lifeline for millions of American women across the country,” Schumer said in a statement. “Senate Democrats are committed to restoring women’s freedoms and will fight to protect access to contraception and other reproductive freedoms that are essential safeguards for millions of women to control their own lives, futures, and bodies.” Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, the lead sponsor of the bill, told The New York Times that it will be “a clarifying political vote that will put every Republican on record as to whether or not they believe in a constitutional right to contraception.” “The truth is that Republicans and Donald Trump’s extremist base don’t want the Right to Contraception Act to pass,” Markey said. “That’s going to be very clear to voters in the fall.” It’s also timely, given how much Republicans have shown their hand on the issue, from the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 manifesto—which includes limits on abortion, contraceptives, and assisted reproductive technology—and the Trump pronouncement, to Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s veto of a bill protecting birth control. Over the next month, Senate Democrats will hold votes and events to highlight just how out of touch the GOP is on all reproductive health issues—access to care, birth control, in vitro fertilization, and abortion. That will likely include another vote on the bill from Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois that would grant a federal right to IVF, in sharp contrast with GOP Sen. Ted Cruz’s effort to stake a weak claim on the issue. “We have a much better proposal, and Republicans ought to support it,” Schumer said Tuesday. Sen. Bob Casey, who is running for reelection in Pennsylvania, welcomes this chance to debate reproductive health policies. “I think it’s going to be a significant issue in all these races, including mine,” he said. “It’s a major dividing line between the two parties.” RELATED STORIES: Ted Cruz pretends to care about IVF in desperate bid for reelection Trump threatens 'interesting' policy to let states restrict contraception The Supreme Court is hearing another abortion case. What could go wrong? Campaign Action
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Senate Democrats are planning to make June Reproductive Rights Month, commemorating the anniversaries of Roe v. Wade in 1973 and Dobbs v. Jackson Womens’ Health that overturned it in 2022. With the Supreme Court ready to rule on access to both abortion pills and emergency abortions, they should have plenty of fodder.
But Donald Trump gave them even more with his gaffe Tuesday suggesting that he’s coming up with an “interesting” and “very comprehensive policy” on birth control. Never mind that he tried to walk it back—he put it out there, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer grabbed it up.
Schumer announced Wednesday that he is fast-tracking the Right to Contraception Act next month, so Republicans will be on record blocking it.
“Contraception is a critical piece of protecting women’s reproductive freedoms, standing as nothing short of a vital lifeline for millions of American women across the country,” Schumer said in a statement. “Senate Democrats are committed to restoring women’s freedoms and will fight to protect access to contraception and other reproductive freedoms that are essential safeguards for millions of women to control their own lives, futures, and bodies.”
Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, the lead sponsor of the bill, told The New York Times that it will be “a clarifying political vote that will put every Republican on record as to whether or not they believe in a constitutional right to contraception.”
“The truth is that Republicans and Donald Trump’s extremist base don’t want the Right to Contraception Act to pass,” Markey said. “That’s going to be very clear to voters in the fall.”
It’s also timely, given how much Republicans have shown their hand on the issue, from the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 manifesto—which includes limits on abortion, contraceptives, and assisted reproductive technology—and the Trump pronouncement, to Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s veto of a bill protecting birth control.
Over the next month, Senate Democrats will hold votes and events to highlight just how out of touch the GOP is on all reproductive health issues—access to care, birth control, in vitro fertilization, and abortion.
That will likely include another vote on the bill from Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois that would grant a federal right to IVF, in sharp contrast with GOP Sen. Ted Cruz’s effort to stake a weak claim on the issue.
“We have a much better proposal, and Republicans ought to support it,” Schumer said Tuesday.
Sen. Bob Casey, who is running for reelection in Pennsylvania, welcomes this chance to debate reproductive health policies.
“I think it’s going to be a significant issue in all these races, including mine,” he said. “It’s a major dividing line between the two parties.”
RELATED STORIES:
Ted Cruz pretends to care about IVF in desperate bid for reelection
Trump threatens 'interesting' policy to let states restrict contraception
The Supreme Court is hearing another abortion case. What could go wrong? Campaign Action
