SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – California Sen. Dianne Feinstein came out in support of filibuster reform on Thursday, which would help firm up abortion rights legislation in the Senate.
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"There is not currently a proposal before the Senate to remove the filibuster to pass the Women's Health Protection Act, which would codify the protections of Roe v. Wade. However, if it looks similar to the proposal the Senate previously considered for voting rights, I certainly would vote for it," said Feinstein in the statement.
"Let me be clear: If it comes down to protecting the filibuster or protecting a woman's right to choose, there should be no question that I will vote to protect a woman’s right to choose," she said.
The filibuster, which currently enables a minority of members in the Senate, 40 out of 100, to prevent a vote from being held on passing bills, has been blamed for the governing body’s inability to pass protections for abortion in the past.
But after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, taking away a woman’s right to choose on a national level, the responsibility fell onto Congress to pass a law that would protect women’s reproductive rights.
Many high-profile Democrats, including President Joe Biden, have voiced support for removing the filibuster to make this happen, but Feinstein did not appear to be one of them until Thursday’s statement.
In a previous statement to The San Francisco Chronicle, Feinstein's spokesperson Adam Russell said, "It's unclear whether the Senate will take up filibuster reform in response to the court's decision but she will continue to work with her colleagues to pass legislation that protects abortion rights."
When asked more pointedly about whether Feinstein supports dropping the filibuster, the spokesperson directed the paper back to the provided statement.
It's not clear what motivated the change in Feinstein's official statement.
The Senator's office did not respond to KCBS Radio's request for comment at the time of publication.
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