CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Senate fell far short Wednesday in a rushed effort toward enshrining Roe v. Wade abortion access as federal law, blocked by a Republican filibuster in a blunt display of the nation's partisan divide over the landmark court decision and the limits of legislative action.
The almost party-line tally promises to be the first of several efforts in Congress to preserve the nearly 50-year-old court ruling, which declares a constitutional right to abortion services but is at serious risk of being overturned this summer by a conservative Supreme Court.
The vote was 51-49 against proceeding, with 60 votes needed to move ahead.
In a response to Wednesday's vote, U.S. senators from both North Carolina and South Carolina issued public statement. Of note, all four senators representing the two states are republicans.
Statement from Sen. Thom Tillis (R - N.C.)
“Democrats are pushing radical legislation that would go beyond Roe v. Wade and allow abortion up until the moment of birth, a policy that the vast majority of North Carolinians, including myself, are fundamentally opposed to. That is why I voted against this legislation when it came to the Senate floor.”
Statement from U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R- S.C.)
“In the midst of the Democrats’ show vote on abortion, we still do not have answers about the unprecedented leak of the Supreme Court’s draft decision on the Dobbs case,” said Senator Tim Scott. “The American people must be able to have faith and confidence in our judicial system. The attempts we are seeing from the Left to compromise the credibility of our nation’s highest court are, simply put, alarming.
“Today, Democrats once again brought radical pro-abortion legislation to the Senate floor. Their actions only further demonstrate how out of touch they are with the American people. I strongly oppose this bill and will continue to fervently fight for the most fundamental American right: the right to life.”
Statement from U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R- S.C.)
“This was a radical bill that goes far beyond Roe v. Wade," he said. "I’m glad it was rejected in a bipartisan manner by the United States Senate," he continued.
Democratic effort
President Joe Biden called on the Congress, controlled by Democrats, to pass legislation to protect abortion services for millions of Americans. But his party's slim majority proved unable to overcome the filibuster led by Republicans, who have been working for decades to install conservative Supreme Court justices and end Roe v. Wade.
“The American people are watching," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D- N.Y.) ahead of the vote. “The public will not forget which side of the vote senators fall on today."
Congress has battled for years over abortion policy, but the Wednesday vote to take up a House-passed bill was given new urgency after the disclosure of a draft Supreme Court opinion to overturn the Roe decision that many had believed to be settled law.
The outcome of the conservative-majority court's actual ruling, expected this summer, is sure to reverberate around the country and on the campaign trail ahead of the fall midterm elections that will determine which party controls Congress.
At the time of publication, a statement from U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R- N.C.) was not available.
The Associated Press contributed to this report