House Democrats want to force a vote on a bill that would create a national right to access birth control — and some Republicans say they haven’t ruled out supporting the move.
The discharge petition, which is expected to be announced Tuesday afternoon, comes the week that Senate Democrats have scheduled a largely symbolic vote on the same bill, the Right to Contraception Act. Democrats hope to highlight Republicans’ record of opposing measures to expand access to reproductive health after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The New York Times first reported the plan.
“It’s very important that we introduce a discharge petition,” Rep. Barbara Lee, co-chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus, told NOTUS. “Democrats in both chambers understand that it’s a personal decision and that no government official, no judge, no outside entity, no one other than that individual’s health care provider and that individual should make those decisions. It’s a fundamental right.”