Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) was one of several Democratic lawmakers calling urgently for the codification of abortion rights into federal law on Monday night, shortly after a Supreme Court draft decision was leaked by Politico, revealing that the majority of the court’s justices were leaning toward overturning 1973’s Roe v. Wade decision. “Congress must pass legislation that codifies Roe v. Wade as the law of the land in this country NOW,” Sanders wrote on Twitter. “And if there aren’t 60 votes in the Senate to do it, and there are not, we must end the filibuster to pass it with 50 votes.” Efforts to pass legislation codifying the decision have long been stymied, with the most recent push failing to pass the Senate in February by a margin of 46-48. The Women’s Health Protection Act, as it was known, failed to gather the 50 votes needed to pass after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) crossed the aisle and joined Republicans in opposition.
Congress must pass legislation that codifies Roe v. Wade as the law of the land in this country NOW. And if there aren’t 60 votes in the Senate to do it, and there are not, we must end the filibuster to pass it with 50 votes.
