Manchin to vote "no" on Senate Democrats' abortion access bill amid fallout from draft Supreme Court

[Polybius]

Source: CBS News

Washington — The Senate is set to vote Wednesday afternoon on whether to advance legislation that would enshrine the right to an abortion established in Roe v. Wade into federal law, as Democrats scramble to protect abortion access nationwide after a draft Supreme Court opinion indicated the high court may overturn its near-50-year-old decision.

Democratic leaders are pressing ahead with the procedural vote even though it is almost certain to fail to garner the 60 votes necessary to overcome a filibuster, arguing the need to bolster abortion rights at the federal level is too urgent to ignore.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced last week the Senate would vote to proceed to the bill, called the Women's Health Protection Act, days after the draft majority opinion was leaked and published. But all 50 GOP senators are expected to vote against ending debate on the bill and at least one Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, will join them.

Manchin was the sole Democrat to join Republicans in blocking the measure when it was taken up by the Senate in February, and he told reporters ahead of Wednesday's vote that he would support legislation that solely enshrines Roe's protections into law, which he said would be the "reasonable, rational thing to do."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-abortion-bill-vote-womens-health-protection-act-supreme-court-draft-opinion-roe-v-wade/

[JohnSJ]

1. No surprise, and if the stars are with us in November, and we are able to gain at least a two seat

majority in the Senate, and maintain the majority in the House, we can then tell Manchin to go suck an egg

I would be surprised if Collins and Murkowski voted for it, but even if they did, it is almost zero chance that the filibuster would be removed to allow it to happen

[Polybius]

4. Collins and Murkowski aren't voting for it because the bill goes further than Roe allows

Something like states can't ban abortions in Catholic hospitals, and no parental notifications. Roe allows it, this bill doesn't.

[JohnSJ]

7. Like I said, even if they voted for it, the filibuster would prevent it from happening, but the

importance of this vote is it shows who stands with women, and who don't

[Polybius]

10. I'll all for taking out these two provisions if they have reasonable objections

I'm for keeping Roe the way it is, not strengthening or weakening it. Perhaps they can pass a revised bill. But you are right, it's still useless even if it gets up to 51 votes. Hell, it might even be useless with 60, if the Supreme Court strikes it down.

[JohnSJ]

12. I agree

[ananda]

16. Also agree.

...

[bottrott]

21. The problem is the pervasiveness of religious ownership of hospitals

In 2018 one in six patients were treated in Catholic facilities and that's only grown in the last six years. That doesn't include other religiously affiliated hospital systems which, in rural areas, means there are often no providers. Here in WA it's rapidly approaching 50% of all beds so there is justification for attempting to include those protections. In the end, I doubt the current SCOTUS would allow states to implement their own limitations on religiously owned systems like WA is attempting to do so keeping it in place for this show vote is probably best. Hell, how many times have Republican senators put up their own alternative bills only to vote against it on the floor? I sure as hell don't trust Collins or Murkowski to whip support for their bill much less actually vote for it in the end so all of this is posturing for mid-terms.

[edhopper]

22. Oh please

if it weren't that, Concerned Collins would find another reason not to vote for it.

[Polybius]

29. Perhaps, but I can understand this reason

The bill should be about what Roe currently supports, and not go any further.

[edhopper]

32. Why are you given Collins

the benefit of the doubt and excusing her hypocrisy?
She would not vote for the bill no matter how it was written.

[Polybius]

33. Because she has put forth her own bill, and I don't like this one

Perhaps we should vote on her bill.

[edhopper]

34. Because

It would still allow most of the ant-abortion laws to stay.

Democrats have generally looked at the Collins-Murkowski bill with skepticism. Abortion rights advocates have raised concerns that it would not halt a Texas law, characterized by Collins as “extreme,” that effectively prohibits abortions after six weeks of pregancy, using private lawsuits as an enforcement mechanism. That law continues to face challenges but has remained in effect so far, although Collins argues it could be unlawful under her bill.

https://bangordailynews.com/2022/05/11/politics/competing-abortion-bills-show-big-differences-between-collins-and-democrats-xoasq1i29i/

You seem to side with Collins more than the Democrats on this.

[Polybius]

35. I hate the Texas law

I'm ok with Catholic hospitals opting out and allowing states to enact parental notifications. I side with whatever position I agree with more, and that is almost always Democrats. I am only very conservative on one issue, and that's property taxes.

[edhopper]

36. Thanks for

the honesty.

[LiberalFighter]

25. If they receive federal funding they shouldn't ban it.

[Polybius]

30. It would be struck down in a nanosecond

Potentially endangering the entire bill. Take it out.

[blm]

2. Bombard Manchin's pages with CBS poll.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/cbs-news-poll-americans-roe-v-wade-abortion/

[Polybius]

5. That poll has nothing to do with today's vote

That's about the proposed GOP anti-abortion bill that Mitch was asked about last week. There won't be a federal law making abortion illegal, at least not yet. No way will Biden sign that.

[JohnSJ]

9. and highly unlikely that they can overturn a veto

[blm]

14. It's all about abortion remaining legal.

The bottom line.

[Polybius]

28. That doesn't indicate any poll numbers for this bill

The public may not support this one either, as it goes further than Roe.

[yaesu]

3. I don't think it had any chance of passing even if all Dems were on board so its probably a

safe move for Manchin. But, it would be nice if Dems were all together on this vote as its mainly to put all repukes on record as being anti choice.

[Bev54]

6. Manchin is establishing and using his power in the democratic party

to control all bills. He is saying I got power and I will use it to bend the party to my will. Please vote more dem senators in so he becomes irrelevant.

[sakabatou]

8. So he wants women to die.

[Phoenix61]

11. He's lying. How many times has he said, "I'll support it if"

and when he gets what he said he wanted still refused to support it. Good to know they aren’t going to cave into him once again.

[róisín_dubh]

13. As a WV voter with a uterus...

he can go fuck himself with rusty pike.

[Ligyron]

26. I think most WV'ians would support keeping abortion safe and legal.

What this buys him other than power to screw the Dems is beyond me.

[róisín_dubh]

27. Probably.

I think there’s only one or two clinics in the state. Thankfully there’s a Planned Parenthood in Pittsburgh, which is relatively close to where I live (when I’m in the state, which is increasingly rare).
I hate Manchin. He’s a useless as tits on a bull, as my dear old mom would say.

[Polybius]

31. They certainly wouldn't support this bill though

West Virginians support reasonable restrictions, which this bill wouldn't allow. No parental notifications and no bans before 24 week are most certainly what they would have problems with. Water it down and it'll pass.

[Emile]

15. Damn that's a shocker!

[BradAllison]

17. Joe's defenders have faaaaaaaded away

Good riddance.

[AZLD4Candidate]

18. The TOS prevent me from attacking this man and his DINO ways

But I really want to so bad.

[Raven123]

19. I think this vote is not the best strategy. I don't get it.

This vote won’t tell us anything we don’t already know. I think Dems should have used this as a call to voters from the get go.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

20. Protest EVERY Senator who votes NO.

Their NO votes tells women the State in which they live, Republicans will OWN and CONTROL their bodies from now on once Roe is overturned.

Play hardball with the facts people. Women must know that their bodies and their futures will no longer be theirs. For three are states that are ready to BAN all forms of Birth Control next.

[jgmiller]

24. I'm not a fan of Manchin but

We all complain how the GOP senators vote as one and how it's not democratic so then we shouldn't expect Dems to do the same.

The national polling on abortion rights shows people overwhelming agree it should be legal. However look at the polling for the same question in West Virginia, it's the exact opposite. Manchin is voting the way his constituents want. Isn't that what we want ALL senators to do regardless of party?