Senators Warner, Kaine “Gravely Concerned,” “Deeply Disappointed” in Senate’s Failure to Pass the Women’s Health Protection Act

See below for reactions by Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine to the U.S. Senate’s failure this afternoon to codify Roe v Wade. The failure, of course, was due to Republicans’ (plus Joe F’ing Manchin’s) opposition to women’s right to reproductive choice and bodily autonomy. Regardless, as Sen. Kaine said, “Today is the start, not the finish. We cannot stand idly by as the Supreme Court threatens to overturn decades of precedent to deny women the right to make their own health decisions. Congress must act.”

STATEMENT OF U.S. SENATOR MARK R. WARNER 

~ On the Senate’s failure to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act ~

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), a cosponsor of the Women’s Health Protection Act, released the statement below after voting for a procedural motion to advance legislation to codify reproductive rights into law. The legislation failed to move forward by a vote of 49-51 after falling short of the 60-vote threshold needed to open debate on the bill. 

“I’m gravely concerned by the Senate’s failure to codify Roe. For almost 50 years, women have had the right to make private medical decisions about their own reproductive health. If the Supreme Court does overturn Roe soon, women in many states will be stripped of their right to a safe abortion – including in cases of sexual assault, incest, or high-risk pregnancies. This is not what the majority of Virginians or Americans support, and it sets an extremely dangerous precedent for rolling back established rights. I’m extremely disappointed that the Senate chose inaction, but I’ll keep supporting measures to allow women to access the care they need.” 

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KAINE STATEMENT ON SENATE EFFORT TO PASS WOMEN’S HEALTH PROTECTION ACT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tim Kaine released the following statement after an effort to pass reproductive health legislation was blocked on the Senate floor by a 49-51 vote:

“I’m deeply disappointed by today’s vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act, but we must keep fighting to make sure that women can exercise their constitutionally-protected reproductive rights. Today is the start, not the finish. We cannot stand idly by as the Supreme Court threatens to overturn decades of precedent to deny women the right to make their own health decisions. Congress must act.”

The Women’s Health Protection Act would protect a woman’s right to choose and prohibit state governors or legislatures from imposing unreasonable restrictions on accessing abortion services.