Commonwealth Policy Center

US Senate Democrats failed to make abortion a right protected by federal law. This bill would’ve done more than codify Roe into law. It would also annul all pro-life laws at the state level. The move was a reaction by pro-abortion Democrats who anticipate Roe v Wade to be overturned. But the idea of codifying abortion into federal law was rejected, mostly on a party-line vote. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) was the lone Democrat who joined all Republicans to prevent the bill from becoming law. This action by the Democrats clearly shows that if Roe is overturned, the pro-life movement still has much work to do to ensure every pre-born human being is protected by law from pro-abortion zealots in Congress.