WASHINGTON — In Indiana, abortion is illegal after a woman’s 13th week of pregnancy. A bill being pushed by Senate Democrats in Washington would render that law null and void in Indiana.
The Women’s Health Protection Act, which was passed by the House last year, failed to advance out of a procedural vote this week in the Senate by a vote of 46-48. Democrats had hoped to advance the bill to show support for a woman’s right to abortion by solidifying it into federal law.
At the moment abortion rights in the U.S. are only held up by the famous Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) says the WHPA goes too far beyond what the intent behind Roe v. Wade was.
“The Women’s Health Protection Act is contrary to the name, radical legislation, that does nothing to protect the health and safety of women,” Young said. “Instead, this bill, which some have been calling the ‘Abortion on Demand Until Birth Act,’ would create a nearly absolute federal right to abortion throughout pregnancy for any reason whatsoever.”
Young is opposed to doing away with what he calls “common-sense restrictions” on abortion that were duly approved by representatives in government on the state level.
He also blasted Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) bring bringing the bill up for a vote during a time when there are other more pressing issues to attend to such as the war in Europe between Ukraine and Russia.
Furthermore, he says public opinion is with those who favor restrictions on abortion.
“Recent polling found that 61-percent of Americans say abortion should either be illegal or that policy decisions should remain up to the states,” added Young. “Instead the ‘Abortion On Demand Act’ would do the very opposite. It would block states from protecting the unborn.”
Schumer said before the Senate vote that state-level restrictions “largely fly in the face of public opinion, common sense, and frankly common decency. We must fight to stop these insidious efforts to curtail a woman’s right to access safe, legal abortion.”
