WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – The House passed two bills on Friday to protect women’s access to abortion, but the votes were largely symbolic as it’s unlikely they will become law.
Democratic women in Congress vowed to continue fighting for women across the country too regain their reproductive freedom.
During a press conference, Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) said “if Republicans have their way this would be a country of forced birth, they’ve already openly discussed a national abortion ban.”
One of the bills House Democrats voted on would protect the right to travel to another state for an abortion and the other would restore federal abortion access.
“Democrats are honoring the basic truth, women’s most intimate health decisions are her own,” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said.
The second bill would protect abortion rights up to the point of viability and allow later abortions if a health care provider determines in good-faith that the mother’s life is in danger.
While the bills passed in the House, they are unlikely to become law. On Thursday, Senate Republicans blocked a bill from Nevada senator Catherine Cortez Masto to protect interstate travel for abortions.
“I rise today to oppose the uncontainable Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act,” Representative Buddy Carter (R-GA) said.
Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) also spoke out against the bill saying “this bill allows the person doing the abortion to decides what qualifies as pre-viability and this is unacceptable.”
Because Democrats worry state bans will extend beyond abortion, they are planning another vote in the House next week to protect access to all forms of contraception.
