Chuck Schumer Tees Up Senate Vote on Contraception Bill

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced on May 22 that the Senate will vote on a bill to protect access to contraception in the coming weeks.

The bill, led by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), would nationally codify recognition of contraception as “a fundamental right.”

The measure, which is expected to be blocked by Senate Republicans, would force lawmakers to declare their positions on an issue that Democrats are looking to campaign on heading into the election.

“Now more than ever, contraception is a critical piece of protecting women’s reproductive freedoms, standing as nothing short of a vital lifeline for millions of American women across the country,” Mr. Schumer said on the Senate floor on Wednesday.

The announcement came after controversy surrounding comments made by former President Donald Trump during an interview in which he suggested he was contemplating restrictions on contraception.

The former president said during an interview with a Pittsburgh TV station that aired on May 21 that he was “looking at” restrictions in the area of birth control.

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