The legislation, which states that “protections for access to abortion rights … should be supported," was blocked by Republicans who panned it as a “show vote.”

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked legislation led by Democrats to revive the protections of Roe v. Wade in the wake of the Supreme Court eliminating the nationwide right to abortion.

The vote was 49-44, falling short of the super-majority needed to defeat a filibuster due to broad opposition from Republicans, who dismissed it as a political stunt.

The Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, introduced last month around the second anniversary of the court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, is just a few sentences long. It states that “protections for access to abortion rights and other reproductive health care” after the 2022 ruling “should be supported.” It adds that “the protections enshrined in* Roe v. Wade …* should be restored and built upon, moving towards a future where there is reproductive freedom for all.”

    • BossDj@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      That’s what the house of representatives… represents.

      Though California should be something like 3 states by now.

      • Matt
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        4 months ago

        If all states were represented like Wyoming is, there would be 573 reps, not 435.

        • BossDj@lemm.ee
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          4 months ago

          I agree. The presumption is that us City folk wouldn’t properly protect rural interest. Which is fair. But doesn’t mean they deserve equal power

          • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            4 months ago

            Rural people dont protect city interest either. Doesn’t seem like an excuse to have one person worth more than another. We all have to live here.

            • BossDj@lemm.ee
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              4 months ago

              Rural people are a minority. If we went 100% “just do what the majority wants” that doesn’t ever work out for minorities. All minorities need protection, so there is sound intent in the design. It SHOULD work out that minority has a voice. But in practice it’s pretty crappy. It needs reworked. Starting with gerrymandering.

              • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                4 months ago

                Proportional representation gives the minority a vioce. What we have now gives the minority absolute power and ‘tyrany of the minority’ is not better than ‘tyrany of the majority’. It was always about keeping landowners voices more powerful than other voices, and the side effect is less dense areas yield people who’s votes count more.

        • BossDj@lemm.ee
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          4 months ago

          In the Senate (where this vote happened), every state gets two people regardless of population.

          House of reps you get a number of reps based on population

          • Nougat@fedia.io
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            4 months ago

            Yeah, that’s the point. This was blocked by Senate Republicans, you know, where the votes do not align with population.

            • snooggums@midwest.social
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              4 months ago

              That is because the Senate is like the UN or other groups of (nation) states where each member has the equivalent number of votes. There is no reason to have a second chamber of congress if both are based on population.

            • BossDj@lemm.ee
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              4 months ago

              Nougat, I was replying to the comment that suggested that the number of votes should represent population. So I was replying that’s what the house of reps is for, not the Senate.