Senate to Vote Next Week on Codifying Roe v. Wade into Law, But Obstacles Remain – By Lisa Hagen (US News) / May 5, 2022
Democrats will force a procedural vote Wednesday on an abortion rights bill after a draft opinion showed Roe is likely to be overturned. But the bill is expected to face another filibuster.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that lawmakers will vote Wednesday on legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade into federal law following the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion that it’s likely to overturn the 1973 ruling. But the vote is expected to fail.
Democrats are forcing another procedural vote on abortion rights legislation to put senators on the record, particularly Republicans – and at least one Democratic senator – who previously blocked a similar vote a few months ago. For 49 years, abortion rights have existed nationwide because Roe v. Wade ruled that it’s a constitutional right, but no federal law on the books establishes it.
With a split 50-50 Senate, the measure is highly unlikely to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a filibuster. But Democrats argue there’s added significance to the vote because of the looming reality that Roe v. Wade will likely be gone once the Supreme Court releases its formal ruling, which is expected this summer.
“Next week’s vote will be one of the most important we ever take because it deals with one of the most personal and difficult decisions a woman ever has to make in her life. This is not an abstract exercise,” Schumer said. “My fellow Americans, it’s as real and as urgent as it gets.”
