Democrats advocate for expanded abortion access ahead of the anniversary of Roe v. Wade reversal.

Saturday Marks One-Year Anniversary of Supreme Court Ruling on Abortion

Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling, which ended nationwide access to abortion and returned the question of the procedure’s legality to elected branches of government.

The ruling had immediate effects in several states, with lawmakers across the country seeking to enact stricter restrictions on the procedure or ban abortion altogether. At least 14 states have enacted partial or total bans, while others have implemented restrictions.

Efforts to Protect Abortion Access

Meanwhile, some efforts are still pending while bans have been blocked by courts and state Democrats seek to expand access and codify abortion rights.

To mark the one-year anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court ruling, congressional Democrats are reviving efforts to protect abortion access ahead of a crucial election cycle. Abortion emerged as a major topic during the midterm elections, which many in the party credit for their better-than-expected performance.

As a result, House Democrats are hoping to force their GOP counterparts into a tough position by introducing a discharge petition to advance legislation that would protect access to abortion nationwide. A group of Democrats plans to file the petition sometime this week to advance the Women’s Health Protection Act, utilizing an increasingly common mechanism used by Democrats to trigger a floor vote even without the support of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

The effort is being led by Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Barbara Lee (D-CA), the co-chairwomen of the Pro-Choice Caucus, as well as the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA). The legislation would codify abortion rights nationwide before fetal viability, ensuring access to the procedure in every state.

“The trio has been working closely with Democratic leadership to make the legislation a priority to help countless Americans who are suffering as a result of the GOP abortion bans that are now in place in several states across the country,” a spokesperson for DeGette said. “The Women’s Health Protection Act, which was approved by the House twice last Congress, would restore the protections that were in place under Roe v. Wade by codifying a nationwide right to abortion care. Poll after poll shows that more than two-thirds of the country supports women’s right to abortion care.”

Under House rules, lawmakers can use a discharge petition to move a bill to the floor for consideration without committee approval if the legislation has been introduced and referred to a standing committee for at least 30 days. To do so, lawmakers must get a majority of the House — in this case, 218 members — to sign a petition to consider the bill on the floor.

That means if all Democrats sign the discharge petitions, the party would only need signatures from five Republicans to bring the legislation to the floor. The bill is unlikely to garner that support because no Republicans voted for the measure when it was brought to the floor last summer.

Party leaders are seeking to use that vote to put vulnerable Republicans in an uncomfortable position, especially those running in districts won by President Joe Biden in 2020 that are largely supportive of abortion rights.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, Democrats are looking at a number of measures to bring to the floor this week with a similar purpose: campaign messaging.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) is expected to lead an effort to introduce multiple unanimous consent bills on the Senate floor this week to commemorate the Dobbs anniversary. The measures include efforts to codify contraception access, allow women to cross state lines to obtain an abortion, ensure data privacy, and provide legal protection to doctors who perform abortions for patients who traveled from outside the state.

“As we mark the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court ripping away a woman’s right to an abortion, Senate Democrats will make plain to the American people the devastating consequences and chaos that decision has inflicted on millions of women in this country,” Murray said in a statement. “Senate Democrats will force Republicans to go on the record once again, and explain to the American people why they refuse to codify our right to contraception, why they refuse to let women travel across state lines for lifesaving health care — as we fight to get the votes we need to restore Roe, it’s imperative that we make plain to the country just how extreme and dangerous Republicans’ anti-abortion agenda is.”

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