June 10 :
Democrats of Indian descent have voiced their deep displeasure with Senate Republicans for blocking a bill that would have protected women's access to birth control. A test vote on the Right to Contraception Act was held on June 5 and passed with a majority of 51 to 39. The 60 votes needed to move the bill forward were, however, severely lacking. Republicans argued that the measure was nothing more than a ploy by Democrats to get GOP senators to publicly support reproductive rights issues in the run-up to the election.
On X, Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal responded by saying that extreme MAGA Republicans take great pride in their attempts to restrict access to abortion nationwide. They have moved on to target other methods of birth control as well as contraception. To protect our liberties, we need to stand up and fight.
The action was also denounced by Representative Ami Bera. It saddens me that the Republicans were able to prevent the Senate from ensuring that all Americans could obtain birth control. Once again, Republicans have shown their opposition to reproductive freedom with this vote. In an X post, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi emphasised the need to safeguard reproductive health care.
People should have the option to choose their own healthcare providers, according to Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar. A statement denouncing the action was also issued by the White House. Following the terrible decision to overturn Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court, Republican government politicians have begun to assault contraception. The statement went on to say that Republicans in the Senate had rejected a bill earlier this week that would have guaranteed all women the right to access safe and effective birth control.
The bill, which is being pushed by Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), aims to guarantee people the right to access and choose to use contraception on a national level. It forbids the federal or state governments from imposing regulations or taxes that limit access to "any drug, device, or biological product intended for use in the prevention of pregnancy" (the term "contraceptives"). It also authorises the Justice Department and impacted private entities to bring lawsuits to uphold the new safeguards.
A nationwide ban on abortion, with no exceptions for rape or incest, was backed by Republicans in March of this year. The restriction is in line with House Republicans' support for the Life at Conception Act, which aims to eliminate reproductive freedom for women nationwide and specifically targets in vitro fertilisation (IVF).
