The US Senate has rejected an attempt to cement abortion into federal law by 49-51 votes. All Republicans and one Democrat opposed the ‘Women’s Health Protection Act’.
The Act sought to prevent states from implementing safeguards for the unborn, should the controversial 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling be overturned later this year.
The vote follows the leak of the US Supreme Court’s draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, indicating abortion law could be returned to state legislatures, which sparked a furious reaction among pro-abortion campaigners. The final ruling is expected this summer.
‘Extreme’
Senator Mitch McConnell criticised the Bill for promoting an “extreme and radical abortion policy”, saying it “would roll back many laws”. Senator Ben Sasse added that politicians should encourage an “ethic of life”, focusing on support for mothers instead of abortion.
In contrast, President Joe Biden claimed the Senate had “chosen to stand in the way of Americans’ rights”, and vowed to pursue pro-abortion policies without Congress.
The vote comes as pro-abortion campaigners have been accused of holding unlawful rallies outside the homes of some Supreme Court justices.
A March 2022 survey from the Pew Research Center found that fewer than one-in-five U.S. adults (19%) say that abortion should be legal in all cases, with no exceptions.
Honest debate
Earlier this month, a columnist said that Britain needs to acknowledge that abortion means the death of a human being.
Writing in The Spectator following the leak of the US Supreme Court’s draft ruling on Roe v. Wade, Melanie McDonagh said Britain is unable to have an honest debate on abortion while it avoids discussing its true nature.
She commented that, unlike the United States, in Britain there is no space given to argue for the rights of the unborn child.
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