Socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) called upon Congress to eliminate the filibuster and vote on legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade into law in the wake of Politico releasing the bombshell report indicating that the Supreme Court has the votes to overturn the landmark abortion case that has divided the country for over 50 years.
“Congress must pass legislation that codifies Roe v. Wade as the law of the land in this country NOW,” Sanders tweeted. “And if there aren’t 60 votes in the Senate to do it, and there are not, we must end the filibuster to pass it with 50 votes.”
Congress must pass legislation that codifies Roe v. Wade as the law of the land in this country NOW. And if there aren’t 60 votes in the Senate to do it, and there are not, we must end the filibuster to pass it with 50 votes.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) May 3, 2022
Sanders was joined by fellow colleague Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), who agreed that Congress should vote to end the filibuster. Per Baldwin’s tweet: “If #SCOTUS is going to legislate from the bench and turn back the clock 50 years on #RoeVWade, then the Senate needs to pass my Women’s Health Protection Act, and if we need to eliminate the filibuster to get it done, we should do that too. #WHPA.“
If #SCOTUS is going to legislate from the bench and turn back the clock 50 years on #RoeVWade, then the Senate needs to pass my Women’s Health Protection Act, and if we need to eliminate the filibuster to get it done, we should do that too. #WHPA
— Sen. Tammy Baldwin (@SenatorBaldwin) May 3, 2022
Pennsylvania Lt. Governor John Fetterman (D), also a candidate for U.S. Senate, likewise opined: “Let’s be clear: The right to an abortion is sacred. Democrats have to act quickly – get rid of the filibuster to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act + finally codify Roe into law. We cannot afford to wait.”
Let's be clear: The right to an abortion is sacred.
Democrats have to act quickly – get rid of the filibuster to pass the Women's Health Protection Act + finally codify Roe into law.
We cannot afford to wait.
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) May 3, 2022
Harvard Law professor Adrian Vermeule agreed that Politico likely published the leaked documents to pressure congress into codifying Roe v. Wade.
“The main play here probably isn’t an attempt to change the result at the Court,” he tweeted. “It’s an attempt to influence Congress to act before the election, either through legislation or court-packing, or alternatively to affect the election itself.”
— Adrian Vermeule (@Vermeullarmine) May 3, 2022
Considering that Democrats have only 48 votes and 2 maybe votes to overturn the filibuster, all Twitter eyes turned on Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).
As we’ve warned, SCOTUS isn’t just coming for abortion – they’re coming for the right to privacy Roe rests on, which includes gay marriage + civil rights.
Manchin is blocking Congress codifying Roe. House has seemingly forgotten about Clarence Thomas. These 2 points must change https://t.co/5Isec0osV0
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 3, 2022
Just in February, Sen. Joe Manchin joined Republicans to block a bill to preserve women’s access to abortion. That bill failed, 46-48, and it needed 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.
Also Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema both oppose changing filibuster rules by a simple majority
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 3, 2022
There’s a bill to codify Roe v. Wade protections into federal law.
It has passed the House.
It tops out at 48 votes in Senate (all Dems except Manchin & Casey).
Nuking filibuster wouldn’t be enough; it lacks 50 in Senate.
in February w/ @alivitali 👇https://t.co/fuJQefOxMB
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) May 3, 2022
The House has already passed Roe v. Wade into law. To also pass it in the Senate we'd need to expand our majority by two seats in order to work around Manchin and Sinema and exempt it from the filibuster. So that's our marching orders for midterms: flip at least two Senate seats.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) May 3, 2022
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