The Republicans in the Senate have rejected a proposed bill that aimed to ensure people across the nation have access to contraceptives.
The Republicans successfully blocked the Right to Contraception Act from proceeding to a full Senate vote on Wednesday. The legislation failed to garner the necessary 60 votes, with all opposition to the act coming from the Republican side.
Related posts
In a recent statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer expressed his disappointment towards Senate Republicans for their actions. He made a last-second procedural move by changing his vote from “yes” to “no” in order to allow the bill to be voted on again. According to Schumer, the actions of Senate Republicans have revealed their true character.
The bill received support from a total of 51 senators, with all of them being Democrats and independents, except for Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who are moderate Republicans.
Here is a comprehensive list of the 38 Republican senators who voted against the bill:
-
- John Barrasso of Wyoming
- Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee
- John Boozman of Arkansas
- Ted Budd of North Carolina
- Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
- Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
- John Cornyn of Texas
- Tom Cotton of Arkansas
- Kevin Cramer of North Dakota
- Mike Crapo of Idaho
- Ted Cruz of Texas
- Steve Daines of Montana
- Joni Ernst of Iowa
- Deb Fischer of Nebraska
- Chuck Grassley of Iowa
- Josh Hawley of Missouri
- John Hoeven of North Dakota
- Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi
- Ron Johnson of Wisconsin
- James Lankford of Oklahoma
- Mike Lee of Utah
- Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming
- Roger Marshall of Kansas
- Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
- Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma
- Rand Paul of Kentucky
- Pete Ricketts of Nebraska
- James Risch of Idaho
- Mike Rounds of South Dakota
- Marco Rubio of Florida
- Eric Schmitt of Missouri
- Rick Scott of Florida
- Tim Scott of South Carolina
- John Thune of South Dakota
- Thom Tillis of North Carolina
- Tommy Tuberville of Alabama
- Roger Wicker of Mississippi
- Todd Young of Indiana
According to Republicans, the bill put forward by Democrats was merely a political move to garner support for their stance on abortion rights in the upcoming November election. Several GOP senators even went as far as calling the voting session on Wednesday a mere “show vote.”
In his statement, Cornyn, who was among those who voted against the bill, referred to it as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.” He further added that the proposed legislation was based on “fearmongering” and that it would ensure easy access to drugs used for inducing abortions.
According to him, the Senate bill is not just about safeguarding the availability of contraception. He explains that if passed, the legislation would mandate healthcare providers to administer abortion medications, even if it violates their religious beliefs. In his opinion, this bill is deceptive, hiding its true intentions beneath a seemingly harmless exterior.
The “morning-after pill” is known to reduce the chances of pregnancy and is also referred to as “emergency contraception.” However, it’s important to note that the bill does not ensure access to drugs that can induce abortion.
