The United States Senate blocked the measure that would have turned the historic Supreme Court ruling (Roe Vs Wade) that made abortion legal in the United States into law. 60 votes were needed for the measure to be approved, but it was blocked with 49 votes in favor and 51 against. The Republicans all voted against, while, among the Democrats, only Senator Joe Manhcin (Virginia) sided with the Conservatives.
It was a largely symbolic vote: the Democrats, while expecting the result they would get, still wanted to try, for demonstrate to the Americans the extremism of the Republicans. They moved quickly to get to the vote, following the publication of one in Politico last week draft opinion, written by Judge Samuel Alito in February, which reported that the Court’s conservative majority voted to eliminate Roe Vs Wade and subsequent sentences. The spread of the news ignited protests across the country, putting reproductive rights at the center of the political debate, six months before the congressional midterm elections. The final sentence is expected for this summer.
Democrats saw the Republican vote against the abortion-protecting bill as a political opportunity at a time when the threat of termination is pressing, and polls show that the majority of Americans want abortion to remain legal in all or in any case in several cases.
“Unfortunately, the Senate has failed to defend the right of women to decide on their own body,” she told reporters Kamala Harris, US vice president. Referring to laws restricting access to abortion in Republican-led states, Harris said that “the priority should be to elect pro-choice leaders at the local, state and federal levels ”.
President Joe Bidenwhich called on Congress to protect the right to abortion, said that the Republicans “have chosen to obstruct the rights of the Americans to make the most personal decisions about your body, your family and your life “.
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Source: Vanity Fair
