After the House passed the bill to protect contraception access across all of the country with only eight Republican vote votes on Thursday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, criticized the GOP, stating that the vote was proof how far right the party has come.
The The vast majority of the Republican caucus – 195 members – voted against passing the bill, which would bar states from implementing laws restricting access to contraceptives like IUDs, birth control pills and Plan B, the emergency contraceptive.
Ocasio-Cortez wrote after the vote that the bill was “not a ‘gotcha’ bill with a bunch of stuff,” but “was pretty straightforward,” meaning that Republicans were just voting to allow states to restrict contraceptive access if the Supreme Court overturns Griswold v. ConnecticutDuring its next term.
“OK, so not only do Republicans want to institute a federal ban on abortion, but today 195 of them voted against codifying the right to contraception,” Ocasio-Cortez said on Twitter. “Only 8 voted yes.”
The lawmaker also used Instagram to discuss the vote. “This is why it’s also key to preserve the House majority,” she wrote. “GOP are descending into an extremism that many didn’t think was real. They are expanding their attacks on contraception, and they cannot be stopped. This vote is the first step.” She said that Democrats’ next move should be to force a vote on the bill in the Senate, where it’s currently unclear whether or not the proposal has enough support to overcome a 60-vote filibuster.
In his concurring opinion on the Supreme Court’s extremist decision to overturn Roe v. WadeJustice Clarence Thomas stated that, with abortion rights no more guaranteed, the Court should reconsider other crucial precedents. He then listed past Supreme Court decisions that established gay marriage rights (Obergefell v. Hodges), the right of same-sex couples to engage in consensual sex (Lawrence v. Texas), and the right to contraceptive access (Griswold v. Connecticut).
Ocasio Cortez stated, “The vote showed that Republicans agreed with Thomas on contraception.” She said, while conservatives have claimed that their opposition to the bill is based on the many extra provisions added on to the bill, her followers can “fact check” those claims by reading the bill, which is clear and narrow.
The bill’s 14-page body affirms that individuals have the right to choose whether they use contraceptives. It also bans state or local bans and allows the Justice Department to sue lawmakers who restrict access to contraception. The bill does not mention topics other than abortion and forced conception.
The New York progressive stated that while bills can have extra provisions and amends added to them, sometimes legislators hide behind these to conceal the fact that they oppose what is being passed.
“100 percent of the time if a Rep says they voted no ‘because of extra stuff,’ they should be able to name the SPECIFIC provision that caused them to vote no,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “If they can’t name what they SPECIFICALLY object to then it’s probably an excuse or cover. THIS bill, however, is rather straightforward and doesn’t have extra bells, whistles and/or loopholes.”
She encouraged her followers watch the debate on the bill themselvesTo find out why Republicans claimed they opposed the bill, you can fact-check their claims.
Other Democratic lawmakers expressed frustration as well. horrorThe bill was opposed by the overwhelming majority of Republicans in Congress. “It’s 2022 and 195 Republicans just voted AGAINST protecting access to contraception. No right to birth control. Prohibition on abortion. Never-ending forced pregnancy with no paid leave or free child care,” said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California). “Everyone should be alarmed by this radical agenda.”
