Washington- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that the Senate will consider legislation next month to protect access to contraception because reproductive rights are at the forefront before the November elections.
“Now more than ever, contraception is an essential part of protecting women’s reproductive freedoms,” Schumer said Wednesday from the Senate floor, adding that “Senate Democrats are committed to restoring women’s freedoms and will fight to protect access to contraception.
The New York Democrat said the House would consider the legislation, called the Right to Contraception Act, in June. The bill, sponsored by Democratic Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, would codify the right to contraception into federal law.
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Democrats have tried to outsmart Republicans on issues such as IVF and contraception, as well as abortion after it became a major motivator for voters in the midterm elections.
In 2022, the House approved contraception legislation shortly after the Supreme Court struck down the constitutional right to abortion, sparking concerns that birth control could be next in the country. At the time, a small group of Republicans joined with the Democratic majority at the time to pass the bill. But he faced headwinds in the Senate.
Even with a stronger Democratic majority in the Upper House, the bill is still expected to fail. But the vote will force Republicans to speak publicly on this issue as the election approaches.
The announcement came a day after former President Donald Trump told CBS News Pittsburgh that he was considering whether to support restrictions on contraception, before quickly walking back his comments. He said in a later social media post that he had never advocated for restricting contraceptives and never would.
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