The bill has little chance of becoming law, lacking the necessary support in the 50-50 Senate. But the vote marks the beginning of a new era in the debate as lawmakers, governors and legislatures grapple with the impact of the court’s decision. The legislation passed 219-210. The House also passed a second bill to ban punishment for a woman or child who decides to travel to another state to have an abortion, 223-205. “Just three weeks ago the Supreme Court took a wrecking ball to fundamental rights by overturning Roe v. Wade,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said before the votes, gathered with other Democratic women on the Capitol steps. “It is outrageous that 50 years later, women must again fight for our most basic rights against an extremist court.” Republicans have spoken out strongly against both bills, praising the Supreme Court’s ruling and warning that the legislation would go further than Roe ever did when it comes to legalizing abortion. Urging her colleagues to vote no, Washington GOP Rep. Kathy McMorris Rogers called abortion “the biggest human rights issue of our generation.” He said the Democratic legislation “has nothing to do with protecting women’s health. It’s about forcing an extreme agenda on the American people.” In overturning Roe, the court allowed states to enact strict abortion limits, including many that had previously been ruled unconstitutional. The decision is expected to lead to abortion bans in about half of the states. Already, some GOP-controlled states have moved quickly to restrict or ban abortions, while Democratic-controlled states have sought to defend access. Voters now rank abortion as one of the most pressing issues facing the country, a shift in priorities that Democrats hope will reshape the political landscape in their favor for the midterm elections. This is the second time the House has passed the bill, which would expand the protections previously provided by Roe by banning what supporters say are medically unnecessary restrictions that block access to safe and accessible abortions. It would prevent a ban on abortions earlier than 24 weeks, when fetal viability, the ability of a human fetus to survive outside the womb, is generally considered to begin. Allows exceptions for abortions after the fetus is viable when a provider determines the mother’s life or health is at risk. The Democrats’ proposal would also prevent states from requiring providers to share “medically inaccurate” information or require additional tests or waiting periods, often aimed at dissuading a patient from getting an abortion. The bill that would ban penalties for out-of-state travel would specify that doctors cannot be penalized for providing reproductive care outside their state. Lizzie Fletcher, a Democrat from Texas, one of the bill’s authors, said travel threats “do not reflect the fundamental rights provided in our Constitution.” Democrats have pointed to the case of a 10-year-old girl who had to cross state lines into Indiana to get an abortion after being raped, calling it an example of how the court’s decision is already having serious consequences. “We don’t have to imagine why this might matter. We don’t need to invent hypotheticals. We already know what’s happened,” Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Thursday on the Senate floor. “Should the right of the next little 10-year-old or 12-year-old or 14-year-old to get the care she desperately needs be jeopardized?” The Constitution does not expressly say that interstate travel is a right, although the Supreme Court has said it is a right that is “well established and repeatedly recognized.” However, the court never said exactly where the right to travel comes from, and that could leave it open to challenge or elimination, as was the right to abortion. Lawmakers in Missouri earlier this year, for example, considered making it illegal to “aid or abet” abortions that violate Missouri law, even if performed outside the state. The proposal was eventually shelved. Democrats have lined up more bills for a vote in the coming weeks. Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said Friday that the House will vote next week on legislation guaranteeing the right to contraception. GOP Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, who supports enacting a statewide abortion ban, accused his colleagues across the aisle Thursday of trying to “inflame” the abortion issue. He said supporters of the travel bill should ask themselves: “Does the child in the womb have a right to travel into their future?” Only two Senate Republicans, Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, have supported abortion rights, but they do not support the Democratic proposal, calling it too far-reaching. They have introduced alternative legislation that would prohibit states from imposing an “undue burden” on a woman’s ability to have an abortion before the fetus is viable, among other provisions. When pressed Thursday on whether Democrats should work with the two senators, Pelosi pushed back: “We’re not going to negotiate on a woman’s right to choose.” Since the court’s ruling last month, some activists have accused President Joe Biden and other top Democrats of not responding strongly enough to the ruling. Biden, who denounced the court’s ruling as “extreme,” last week issued an executive order aimed at eliminating some potential penalties women seeking abortions may face. His administration has also warned doctors that they must offer an abortion if the mother’s life is in danger. Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee has already launched a digital ad campaign to energize voters on the issue, warning that Republicans’ ultimate goal is to ban abortion nationwide. “We need to elect two more Democratic senators so we can get past the filibuster so we can pass legislation that actually affects a woman’s right to choose,” she said. “There are no measures by halves.”
Associated Press writer Jessica Gresko contributed to this report.
