Democrat-Led Abortion Bill FAILS on 49-51 Senate Vote

The U.S. Senate failed to advance legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade into federal law.

The Women’s Health Protection Act, which has passed the House, failed by a 49-51 vote, falling 11 votes short of the 60 senators needed to break a filibuster.

All 50 Republicans voted against the legislation, while 49 Democrats voted yes.

Sen. Joe Manchin was the lone Democrat to vote no on the bill.

Sen. Manchin was the only Democrat to vote ‘NO.’

— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) May 11, 2022

🚨BREAKING: Democrat’s late-term abortion bill FAILS on a 49-51 senate vote. A bipartisan vote in opposition. Another win for the pro-life movement!

— Tim Swain (@_TimSwain_) May 11, 2022

49-51, Senate Dems fall 11 votes shy of breaking a Republican-led filibuster to advance bill on abortion rights. Manchin the lone Democratic NO vote. No Republicans voted in the affirmative.

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 11, 2022

BREAKING: The GOP blocked the Senate from advancing a bill to protect abortion rights nationwide.

The vote was 51-49. Democrats pushed for the vote after a leaked draft opinion showed SCOTUS could overturn Roe v. Wade, stripping or restricting abortion access for millions. pic.twitter.com/i1kbz9TdHY

— AJ+ (@ajplus) May 11, 2022

https://twitter.com/JesseKellyDC/status/1524502605048815617

NBC News reported:

Moments before the vote, a group of House members appeared at the Senate side of the Capitol and chanted “my body, my decision!” as they walked along the halls outside the chamber.

Democratic leaders saw the vote as an opportunity to lay down a marker ahead of midterm elections in November as their party faces fierce headwinds, from President Joe Biden’s negative approval ratings to voters’ concerns about inflation. Strategists in the party hope to persuade the sizable majority of Americans who want to uphold Roe v. Wade to vote Democratic.

“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,” 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.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said it was “one of the most consequential” votes the Senate has held in decades. “For MAGA Republicans, this has always been about making abortion illegal everywhere,” he said in a floor speech.

After the vote, Schumer said Democrats are “going to continue to highlight this issue relentlessly and strongly between now and November because it is so important.”