Democrats in the U.S House of Representatives have passed legislation to protect abortion rights on the federal level although support from the senate is not expected to meet approval.
On Lone Star Politics, Dallas Morning News political writer Gromer Jeffers asked Congressman Joaquin Castro, (D-San Antonio), if Congress dropped the ball by not passing federal legislation sooner thinking Roe v. Wade would still stand.
“We should have pursued, and you know, I am in my fifth term, and so, of course, Roe V Wade was decided in 1973 so it of course predates my service. But to answer your question yes I do think that we should have pursued a right to an abortion for women long before today,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro.
Post-overturn, there's a renewed push.
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President Biden said he would back a limited change to senate rules allowing a simple majority to make abortion legal again nationally.
The senate does not have the votes to get that done right now. Democratic senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin don’t support changing the rules.
"So the reality is that while everyone talks about this as a practical matter if it would have been possible it would have already been done. We've had these calls over time, really going back to 1989, when there was a concern that Roe v Wade would be overturned, and then again in 1992,” said Kimi King, Political science professor at UNT.
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Kimberlyn Schwartz of Texas Right to Life thinks if Democrats do get this done, it will backfire.
“Whenever you change the rules to get what your side wants immediately, it creates a ripple effect later on, and the other party, whenever republicans come into office, will have those same set of rules to operate by,” said Kimberlyn Schwartz, Texas Right to life.
A landmark decision, and calls to action, five months before the all-important midterm elections.
