Following the leak of a draft opinion document stating that the Supreme Court will vote to overturn Roe v Wade, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Thursday that the chamber will hold a vote next week to potentially codify abortion rights into law.
“Next week, the US Senate is going to vote on legislation to codify a woman’s right to seek an abortion into federal law,” said Schumer. “I intend to file cloture on this vital legislation Monday, which would set up a vote for Wednesday.”
“Republicans will have two choices. They can own the destruction of women’s rights, or they can reverse course and work to prevent the damage. Currently, I’m skeptical that they’ll do the latter,” said Schumer.
“Republicans have been on the wrong side of history and the wrong side of America. A poll just released today from Data for Progress showed voters want Roe to stay a law of the land by a two-to-one margin. Democrats, independents and 35 percent of Republicans believe we should keep Roe in place.
“Next week’s vote will be one of the most important we take, 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 said.
The New York Senator had begun his announcement by blasting Republicans’ reactions to Politico’s Monday evening article publishing the leaked document from the Supreme Court.
“For two decades, over two decades, Republicans across the country have worked to dismantle Roe. They’ve worked to take away the rights of women who simply want to make their own choices and not be told by some doctors, some senators, some court justice, how to treat their bodies,” he said.
“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,” he added.
Schumer said that Republicans “suddenly don’t want to talk about their complicity in this effort” following the leak.
“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,” said Schumer, who added that these Republican leaders “now wish to go underground because they’re actually afraid in certain ways that it might succeed.”
Authored by Hannah Nightingale via the Post Millennial
ThinkCivics researches, examines, and reports on issues that matter most. We deliver explanative, fearless, and insightful analysis for public consumption.
