Democratic senator Joe Manchin (D-W. Va) and Senate Republicans blocked a bill that would guarantee abortion access nationwide as the Supreme Court appears set to strike down Roe v. Wade this summer.
All 50 senate Republicans and Manchin voted against proceeding to debate on the Women’s Health Protection Act. The vote was 49-51 falling short of the 60 votes need to break a filibuster.
Manchin was the lone Democrat to oppose the bill. Democratic Sen. Bob Casey (Pa), who has long held anti-abortion views supported the bill saying the circumstances has changed.
After the vote Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats are “going to continue to highlight this issue relentlessly and strongly between now and November because it is so important,” NBC News reports.
“Republicans in Congress — not one of whom voted for this bill — have chosen to stand in the way of Americans’ rights to make the most personal decisions about their own bodies, families and lives,” President Joe Biden said in a statement after the vote. “To protect the right to choose, voters need to elect more pro-choice senators this November, and return a pro-choice majority to the House. If they do, Congress can pass this bill in January, and put it on my desk, so I can sign it into law.”
The vote comes a week after a Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide was leaked.
