WASHINGTON, D.C. – After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month, it looks like the abortion fight is far from over in Congress.
The House is taking up two abortion bills: One would essentially codify Roe into law and the other would protect people crossing state lines seeking an abortion.
The House has already passed the Women’s Health Protection Act back in September, which would codify Roe into law, but the Senate failed to advance it. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D- CA) said they will try to pass it again. When the House first took up that bill last time around, our local congressional members including Congressmen Fred Keller (R- PA), Mike Kelly (R- PA) and Glenn Thompson (R- PA), all voted ‘no’ on this legislation.
Congressman Keller’s spokesperson sent us this statement: ““Congressman Keller will vote against any legislation that would codify Roe v. Wade into law or any other action that puts unborn babies at risk. In June, The Supreme Court made it very clear that this is a state issue and any attempt by Speaker Pelosi to override this ruling is purely for political purposes.”
Congressman Kelly couldn’t speak with us today on this but in an op-ed published in Newsweek he said in part: “Roe was both a legal and moral abomination from the beginning.”
After Roe was overturned, some states are tossing around the idea of making it a crime for a women to travel across state lines to get an abortion. In response to that, Democratic lawmakers created legislation that would protect people’s rights to travel across state lines to get an abortion. They said it’s a constitutional right for Americans to travel freely and voluntarily in the U.S., including traveling for health care.
Even if the House passes these bills, it’s unlikely the Senate will. The senate is split 50/50 and they need at least 60 ‘yes’ votes to move forward with legislation, which is unlikely to happen.