Abortion law dies in Senate

WASHINGTON: A Democratic drive to make abortion available to all American women was rejected by Republicans in the Senate, who refused to even allow a vote on the issue.

The Women’s Health Protection Act, which was passed by the House of Representatives – where the Democrats have a majority – would have created a federal statute assuring healthcare providers have the right to provide abortions and patients have the right to receive them.

The effort came amid a political firestorm ignited by a leaked draft opinion that shows the Supreme Court’s conservative majority preparing to overturn Roe v Wade, a landmark 1973 ruling guaranteeing abortion access nationwide.

But it was always a doomed and symbolic push, as Democrats knew they would not be able to secure the 60 votes needed to advance towards a final yes or no vote in the evenly divided 100-member Senate.

In the end, all 50 Republicans and one of the 50 Democrats, West Virginia centrist Joe Manchin, rejected even considering the bill.

Joe Biden vowed never to “stop fighting to protect access to women’s reproductive care” and urged voters to elect more pro-choice senators.