House Democrats have submitted a discharge petition to compel a vote on abortion access.

House Democrats File Discharge Petition to Protect Abortion Access Nationwide

House Democrats are taking a bold step to protect abortion rights by filing a discharge petition to force a vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act. This strategic move, borrowed from their successful midterm election playbook, aims to codify abortion access before fetal viability across the entire country.

Leading the charge are Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Barbara Lee (D-CA), co-chairwomen of the Pro-Choice Caucus, along with Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), the bill’s sponsor.

“The U.S. Supreme Court has rolled back the clock on women’s rights in this country,”

DeGette passionately declared on the House floor. She emphasized the importance of granting every individual the freedom to make their own healthcare choices, highlighting the pain and trauma caused by GOP efforts to criminalize abortion care.

Recognizing their limited influence as the minority party, Democrats are utilizing a rarely used mechanism to trigger a floor vote without the support of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). Their goal is to put vulnerable Republicans, especially those in districts supportive of abortion rights, in an uncomfortable position.

Under House rules, a discharge petition can move a bill to the floor for consideration without committee approval if it has been introduced and referred to a standing committee for at least 30 days. To achieve this, lawmakers must gather a majority of the House, requiring 218 members to sign the petition.

If all Democrats sign the discharge petition, the party would only need five Republican signatures to bring the legislation to the floor. However, given that no Republicans supported the measure in the previous floor vote, it is unlikely to garner their support this time.

Furthermore, it remains uncertain whether all Democrats will be willing to sign the petition, as some members have previously supported certain abortion restrictions. Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX), for instance, has not yet indicated his stance on the matter.

Nevertheless, Democrats are poised to use this vote as campaign ammunition against Republicans running in districts that strongly support abortion rights.

“People should have the right to make decisions over their own bodies, especially healthcare decisions, not politicians or justices in a process that has been aided by Republicans in history,”

Lee asserted, emphasizing the need for accountability.

The timing of the vote is significant, as it falls just days before the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This decision ended nationwide access to abortion, leaving the legality of the procedure up to individual states.

Since then, numerous states have implemented further restrictions or outright bans on abortion. At least 14 states have enacted partial or total bans, while others have imposed access limitations.

As the battle for abortion rights continues, House Democrats are determined to fight for the protection of access to abortion nationwide.

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