(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Senate Republicans blocked legislation Wednesday that would enshrine a federal right to access contraception, sinking the Democratic-led measure.
Illinois' two senators spoke before the vote, saying basic freedoms are at stake.
“The issues of freedom and privacy are worth fighting for,” Sen. Dick Durbin (D) said.
He was among those who supported the Right to Contraception Act. He alluded to a 1965 Supreme Court ruling protecting the freedom of married couples to use contraceptives without government restriction.
“MAGA Republicans insist they're for freedom. What about the freedom to decide the future of your family and whether or not you're going to have a planned pregnancy that is so fundamental and so basic.
“They say they’re for protecting privacy. They were talking about repealing Griswold, which was one of the most basic guarantees of privacy that we've seen by the Supreme Court.”
The Act was sponsored by Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth who had harsh words for Republicans opposing the failed measure.
“They don't care that contraception helps millions of women treat conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, and even helps to decrease the risk of certain cancers.
“They don't care that they are making it even harder for black and brown communities, LGBTQ+ Americans, people with disabilities and other marginalized communities from accessing the health care that they desperately need. And they don't care that access to contraception bolsters military readiness.”
The test vote won a 51-39 majority, but that was well short of the 60 votes to move ahead on the legislation. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) switched his vote to “no” for procedural reasons so he could bring up the bill again at a later date.
It came as the Senate has abandoned hopes of doing serious bipartisan legislation before the election. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his Democrats are trying to instead spotlight issues they believe can help them win the presidency and keep the Senate in November. A similar vote on ensuring nationwide access to in vitro fertilization is expected next week.
That bill is expected to similarly stall in the Senate, where Democrats need 60 votes to move forward on legislation. Schumer said Tuesday that Democrats will “put reproductive freedoms front and center before this chamber, so that the American people can see for themselves who will stand up to defend their fundamental liberties.”
Minority Republicans have scoffed at the votes, saying the political messaging votes were unserious distractions from legislation they would like to vote on. “I expect we will see a lot more show votes this summer,” said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican, on Tuesday.
Maine Sen. Susan Collins, one of two Republicans to vote with Democrats to move forward on the bill, said Monday that she would want the legislation to be amended to include more religious liberty protections. “It is clearly a messaging attempt and not a serious attempt in itself,” she said.
Many Republicans who voted against consideration of the bill said they support access to contraception but believe the legislation is unnecessary.
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(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)