House passes first bills to restore abortion rights post-Roe v. Wade

The House voted on a pair of bills aimed at restoring abortion rights nationwide in Democrats' first legislative response to the Supreme Court's landmark decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

The Women's Health Protection Act of 2022 passed the House with a vote of 219-210 and is an updated version of a bill the House passed in September to enact the right to an abortion and prohibit states from imposing limits on abortions that could make them more difficult or costly to obtain. The Senate failed to pass a version of this bill in May. 

The bill has little chance of becoming law because it lacks sufficient support in the 50-50 Senate. Yet voting marks the beginning of a new era in the debate as lawmakers, governors and legislatures grapple with the impact of the court's decision.