The U.S. Senate is poised to vote Wednesday on the Women's Health Protection Act (H.R. 3755) which would codify Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 ruling legalizing termination of preborn children, making it the law of the land. Or, as Nancy Pelosi described it last year using the Democrats' idiom for abortion: "[This] will enshrine into law reproductive healthcare for all women across America."
Jennifer Popik of the National Right to Life Committee tells AFN it would do much more than legalize abortion even if Roe is overturned by the high court.
"There's been some really commonsense pro-life laws that have been in effect in the states – and this bill would undo them all," she says. "It would [also] provide for government funding and … make abortion something that could never be restricted or impeded up to the moment of birth."
The Women's Health Protection Act passed the U.S. House on a 218-211 vote in late September; while in the Senate in late February, it failed to advance (46-48) for consideration. The Senate is still operating under the filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes to consider the bill. Popik says it's not likely to pass – at least not now.
"It's going to fall far short of 60 [votes]," she predicts. "[That's why] it's really critical that pro-life Republicans retake the Senate next Congress; I think it's going to be absolutely critical [because] if the Democrats remain in control, they're going to keep working on these radical pieces of legislation to get rid of even the most sort of mainstream, commonsense restrictions in the states."
Popik encourages people to contact liberal activist senators, encouraging them to have a change of heart and vote for life instead.
