Statement from Nancy Northup, president & CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights:
“This is an unprecedented moment. We are likely on the precipice of losing Roe v. Wade, and with it half of the population would lose the right to control their own bodies and futures. We need federal legislation to protect abortion access if Roe falls. Today’s vote was an important step in protecting the right to abortion, even though it fell short of passage. Senators are now on the record at the pivotal moment as either standing up to protect abortion rights or standing aside and letting states deny their residents access to essential healthcare.
We are thankful that Senate Majority Leader Schumer brought the Women’s Health Protection Act to the floor and for the 49 senators who voted for this bill today. They understand the stakes and what we stand to lose. Overturning Roe is not the end game of the anti-abortion movement. Their goal is a nationwide ban on abortion, and they will do everything they can to make that happen. Any politician who is not speaking up and voting to protect our rights in this moment is complicit in what comes next—the suffering and panic that will ensue if Roe falls.
The consequences of losing abortion access will fall unequally. Restrictions on abortion fall hardest on those who are already struggling to make ends meet, communities of color, young people, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants and those living in rural areas. We will keep fighting for a federal law that protects the right to abortion for every person, in every state until it becomes law.”