A bill to codify abortion protections fails in the Senate – NPR

The Women’s Health Protection Act, which would have codified a right to an abortion, failed to pass the Senate, and President Biden said that his administration would continue to defend women’s constitutional rights.

After a leaked draft opinion from Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito revealed that the court is likely to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Senate voted on a bill to protect abortion rights.

Focus could now turn to efforts by Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski to pass a narrower version of the WHPA legislation. But even that bill might not have enough support to pass.

Sen. Bob Casey, D-PA, said he would vote for the WHPA, but his father was governor during the 1992 Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, which paved the way for abortion restrictions.

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he would vote for a bill that legalized abortion on the federal level, but not this bill.

Manchin lamented that the bill his and his colleagues will be voting on is “extremely political” and divisive and that the politics of Congress is dividing the country.

Manchin said he is pro-life and believes in exceptions for cases such as rape and incest. He supports abortion rights consistent with Roe v. Wade.

Since Roe v. Wade, many states have passed restrictions on abortion. The Supreme Court allowed states to pass more restrictions as long as they did not pose an “undue burden”.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1973 that a woman’s right to an abortion was implicit in the right to privacy protected by the 14th Amendment to the Constitution.

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