Senate Democrats to bring right to contraception to floor for vote, pressuring Republicans
CBSN
Washington — The Senate is scheduled to vote Wednesday on legislation to protect access to contraception, as Democrats work to put reproductive rights at center stage heading into November's election.
The bill, called the Right to Contraception Act, would codify the right to contraception in federal law. For Senate Democrats, the effort has been a long time coming. The legislation was first introduced in the aftermath of the Supreme Court's move to strike down the federal right to abortion in 2022, which prompted Democratic lawmakers' concern that birth control could be next. Two years on, they're bringing attention to the issue — and to the stances of their GOP colleagues — as they try to hold on to their narrow control of the Senate.
"Federal protections for contraceptives are a critical piece of protecting women's reproductive freedoms," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday on the Senate floor, touting the Senate's upcoming move to "defend the freedom of choice with a vote on the Right to Contraception Act."
