Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski announced they are joining two Democrats in proposing a bill to codify abortion rights nationally.
Collins and Murkowski united with Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Tim Kaine in making the announcement. The senators said the legislation would put the “essential holdings” of Roe v. Wade in federal law.
The Supreme Court in June overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing states to decide on abortion policies. Since then, many GOP-led states have enacted abortion bans or restrictions.
Even with the full backing of Collins and Murkowski, getting eight other Republican senators to back such legislation is questionable. The bill would need 60 votes to break a Senate filibuster.
“The Supreme Court’s recent abandonment of longstanding precedent erodes the reproductive rights on which women have relied for half a century. These basic rights need to be the same for American women regardless of the state in which they reside. Our bill would restore the right to obtain an abortion by enacting in federal law Roe v. Wade and other seminal Supreme Court decisions pertaining to reproductive freedom. In addition, our bill would protect access to contraception,” said Collins.
The legislation would prohibit states from restricting abortions before viability. It also preserves contraceptive rights.
House Democrats passed a bill in July that would have also protected abortion rights.
