Pro-abortion bill fails in Senate

Democrats would have needed 60 yes votes to move forward with a measure to enshrine the right to have an abortion in federal law.  Only 49 senators voted in favor of a motion to advance the bill Wednesday. As the U.S. Supreme Court considers reversing the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, Democrats vowed to keep trying to codify mandatory abortion access.

What would the bill do? “Our Democratic colleagues want to vote for abortion on demand through all nine months until the moment before the baby is born. It is chilling that anybody would write legislation like this in 2022,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. He said the bill would also roll back medical safeguards and waiting periods.

Dig deeper: Read Leah Savas’ report in Vitals about efforts to make California and New York abortion destinations.