Democrat politicians are calling to eliminate the filibuster so the Senate can pass legislation to codify Roe v. Wade into law.
The call to action comes following an unprecedented leak of a draft opinion indicating the Supreme Court is prepared to overturn the landmark decision that legalized abortion.
The filibuster is designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill. Ending debate requires the agreement of three-fifths (60) of Senators, or in today’s Congressional makeup – 10 Republicans would have to join the majority party.
Eliminate the filibuster, and suddenly a bill to codify abortion rights into law requires 50 votes in a Senate divided 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris giving the tie-breaking vote to the Democrats.
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.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 3, 2022
Candidates Demand Nuke of Filibuster
CNN reports that several Democrat candidates for Senate are now calling to end the filibuster in response to a Supreme Court decision that hasn’t even been handed down yet.
Representative Tim Ryan (D), vying for a Senate seat in Ohio, said “it’s time to end the filibuster … and fight like hell to make sure all Ohio families are free to make these critical decisions without interference from politicians in Columbus or Washington.”
Axios notes that the move is almost universally desired on the left.
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“Democrats across the board are calling for the Senate to eliminate its filibuster so it can codify abortion rights into federal law,” they write.
Senate Democratic candidates on Monday immediately called for eliminating the filibuster and passing legislation to protect abortion rights after Politico published what it said was a draft Supreme Court majority opinion that would strike down Roe v. Wade https://t.co/4FtE7juQ5h
— CNN (@CNN) May 3, 2022
Biden Calls to Codify Roe v. Wade
President Biden responded to the leaked draft decision which could overturn Roe v. Wade by pushing for the codification of legal abortion into law.
“At the federal level, we will need more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe, which I will work to pass and sign into law,” Biden told reporters before boarding Air Force One on Tuesday.
President Joe Biden says he’d work to codify Roe v. Wade following a report that conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court were poised to strike down the half-century-old precedent https://t.co/SSAbIbM1EM
— Bloomberg (@business) May 3, 2022
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi concurred, pointing out that Democrats in the House had already voted to codify Roe into law.
“The radical, right-wing Supreme Court plan to uphold draconian abortion bans and overturn #RoeVWade strikes at the heart of our freedom, health and safety,” she tweeted.
“House Democrats have already voted to codify Roe and will continue to defend its protections against Republican sabotage.”
Odd how the Supreme Court was never described as radical or right-wing when they were making other decisions on health during the pandemic.
The radical, right wing Supreme Court plan to uphold draconian abortion bans and overturn #RoeVWade strikes at the heart of our freedom, health and safety.
House Democrats have already voted to codify Roe and will continue to defend its protections against Republican sabotage.
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) May 3, 2022
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) called for both the end of the filibuster and to codify Roe v. Wade. She also added a call for court-packing for good measure.
End the filibuster. Codify #RoeVWade with a national law protecting abortion rights. Expand the Supreme Court. Stop this horrifying injustice in its tracks.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) May 3, 2022
Senator Chuck Schumer has vowed to hold a vote on legislation to codify Roe v. Wade into law.
“A vote on this legislation is not an abstract exercise,” Schumer said on the floor of the Senate. “This is as urgent and real as it gets. We will vote to protect a woman’s right to choose and every American is going to see [on] which side every senator stands.”
The Senate will hold a vote on legislation to codify the right to an abortion in law.
This is not an abstract exercise. This is urgent.
We will vote on protecting a women’s right to choose, and every American is going to see which side every senator stands on.
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) May 3, 2022
Schumer also demanded a vote to force a rule change to the filibuster in an effort to get Democrat voting reform legislation rammed through Congress with a simple majority back in January.
The New York Democrat has adamantly argued in the past against eliminating the filibuster, at one point calling the notion a “doomsday for democracy.”
FLASHBACK: @SenSchumer in 2005: Eliminating the filibuster would “be a doomsday for democracy.”pic.twitter.com/NW3ZzoumHy
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) January 3, 2022
RELATED: Watch: Abortion Advocates Take Abortion Pills And Scream ‘Abortion’ At Protest Outside Supreme Court
Manchin, Sinema For the Block
If Schumer and his cohorts were hoping all 50 Democrats would vote on the legislation to resurrect abortion rights through legislation, they’ve just been doused with cold water.
They don’t have the votes.
Democrat Senators Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema have, as they have consistently all along, vowed to protect the filibuster.
“The filibuster is a protection of democracy,” Manchin insisted, having voted against similar legislation trying to codify abortion rights.
Reminder: In February, Sen. Joe Manchin joined the GOP to block a bill to preserve access to abortion. That bill failed, 46-48, and it needed 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.
Also Manchin and Sen. Sinema both oppose changing filibuster rules by a simple majority.
— Election Wizard 🇺🇸 (@ElectionWiz) May 3, 2022
Sinema went with the ol’ Jedi mind trick, citing women’s health as reason to keep the filibuster in place.
“Protections in the Senate safeguarding against the erosion of women’s access to health care have been used half-a-dozen times in the past ten years, and are more important now than ever,” she said in a statement.
Sinema supports Roe v. Wade, according to Axios, saying the case being overturned “endangers the health and wellbeing of women in Arizona and across America.”
Thank you to Sens. Joe Manchin And Kyrsten Sinema for reaffirming that they will not end the filibuster.
— Carmine Sabia (@CarmineSabia) May 3, 2022
Former President Donald Trump has said the leak of the Supreme Court draft sets a dangerous precedent, but unlike the current hopes of Democrat politicians, the decision won’t sway the midterms.
Biden: “Roe says what all basic mainstream religions have historically concluded, that the existence of a human life and being is a question.” pic.twitter.com/vLlJzGSJnk
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 3, 2022
“I don’t think it is going to have a tremendous effect,” Trump told Fox News. “I will say, I have seen more passion on the right, at least up until this point, I can’t say what is going to happen now.”
He also surmised that the passion right now runs both ways in America.
