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U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks on Capitol Hill on July 20, 2022 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
With many lawmakers expressing disbelief that a law codifying the right to use birth control is needed in the U.S. in 2022, House Democrats passed the Right to Contraception Act on Thursday--joined by just eight Republicans as the party denied access to contraception is under attack.
All 220 Democrats voted in favor of the bill.
"One hundred ninety-five House Republicans just voted against protecting your right to access contraception," said Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).
"Birth control is a basic form of healthcare we ALL deserve to access."
The legislation defines contraception as "any drug, device, or biological product intended for use in the prevention of pregnancy, whether specifically intended to prevent pregnancy or for other health needs, that is legally marketed under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, such as oral contraceptives, long-acting reversible contraceptives, emergency contraceptives, internal and external condoms, injectables, vaginal barrier methods, transdermal patches, and vaginal rings, or other contraceptives."
Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.) introduced the bill weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court's right-wing majority overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the right to abortion care for millions of women and likely reducing access to abortions even in states where the right is still protected.
In an opinion concurring with the ruling, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that "in future cases, we should reconsider all of the Court's substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell," naming cases that affirmed Americans have the right to contraception, same-sex relationships, and marriage equality.
Thursday's vote showed that opposition to contraceptive rights "is not just an opinion of one man," said Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.). "This is their plan."
\u201cWhen Clarence Thomas said he wanted to take away a woman\u2019s right to birth control, some told me that is just his opinion. But now I saw 195 of my Republican colleagues reject protection for contraceptives. This is not just an opinion of one man. This is their plan.\u201d— Andy Kim (@Andy Kim) 1658418788
"If they had the chance they would ban" contraception, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) added.
Earlier this week, the House passed a bill codifying the right of same-sex couples to marry, with the vast majority of Republicans voting against it.
After the ruling overturning Roe was handed down, a health system in Missouri--where abortion is now banned--temporarily stopped providing emergency contraception, better known as Plan B, saying the state needed to "better define" its abortion ban.
Republicans in Missouri have also tried to stop Medicaid funding from being used for contraception.
GOP legislators on Thursday, however, claimed the right to access contraception is not being threatened, with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) accusing the Democrats of "spreading fear and misinformation" and calling the bill "a Trojan horse for more abortions."
After the House bill passed, advocates called on the Senate to promptly pass the Right to Contraception Act, which was introduced by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) this week.
\u201cThe House will vote TODAY on the Right to Contraception Act. Then the Senate must pass @SenMarkey\u2019s bill to codify this essential right. We are calling on Congress to get this done now. Tell your representative to vote yes to pass this critical bill. Call 202-224-3121\u201d— NARAL (@NARAL) 1658412545
Republicans in the Senate have also denied people are at risk of losing their right to use contraception, with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) calling the Democrats' efforts "pure hysteria."
"Birth control is a basic form of healthcare we ALL deserve to access," said the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights after the House bill was passed. "Senate must follow."
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
With many lawmakers expressing disbelief that a law codifying the right to use birth control is needed in the U.S. in 2022, House Democrats passed the Right to Contraception Act on Thursday--joined by just eight Republicans as the party denied access to contraception is under attack.
All 220 Democrats voted in favor of the bill.
"One hundred ninety-five House Republicans just voted against protecting your right to access contraception," said Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).
"Birth control is a basic form of healthcare we ALL deserve to access."
The legislation defines contraception as "any drug, device, or biological product intended for use in the prevention of pregnancy, whether specifically intended to prevent pregnancy or for other health needs, that is legally marketed under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, such as oral contraceptives, long-acting reversible contraceptives, emergency contraceptives, internal and external condoms, injectables, vaginal barrier methods, transdermal patches, and vaginal rings, or other contraceptives."
Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.) introduced the bill weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court's right-wing majority overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the right to abortion care for millions of women and likely reducing access to abortions even in states where the right is still protected.
In an opinion concurring with the ruling, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that "in future cases, we should reconsider all of the Court's substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell," naming cases that affirmed Americans have the right to contraception, same-sex relationships, and marriage equality.
Thursday's vote showed that opposition to contraceptive rights "is not just an opinion of one man," said Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.). "This is their plan."
\u201cWhen Clarence Thomas said he wanted to take away a woman\u2019s right to birth control, some told me that is just his opinion. But now I saw 195 of my Republican colleagues reject protection for contraceptives. This is not just an opinion of one man. This is their plan.\u201d— Andy Kim (@Andy Kim) 1658418788
"If they had the chance they would ban" contraception, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) added.
Earlier this week, the House passed a bill codifying the right of same-sex couples to marry, with the vast majority of Republicans voting against it.
After the ruling overturning Roe was handed down, a health system in Missouri--where abortion is now banned--temporarily stopped providing emergency contraception, better known as Plan B, saying the state needed to "better define" its abortion ban.
Republicans in Missouri have also tried to stop Medicaid funding from being used for contraception.
GOP legislators on Thursday, however, claimed the right to access contraception is not being threatened, with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) accusing the Democrats of "spreading fear and misinformation" and calling the bill "a Trojan horse for more abortions."
After the House bill passed, advocates called on the Senate to promptly pass the Right to Contraception Act, which was introduced by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) this week.
\u201cThe House will vote TODAY on the Right to Contraception Act. Then the Senate must pass @SenMarkey\u2019s bill to codify this essential right. We are calling on Congress to get this done now. Tell your representative to vote yes to pass this critical bill. Call 202-224-3121\u201d— NARAL (@NARAL) 1658412545
Republicans in the Senate have also denied people are at risk of losing their right to use contraception, with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) calling the Democrats' efforts "pure hysteria."
"Birth control is a basic form of healthcare we ALL deserve to access," said the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights after the House bill was passed. "Senate must follow."
With many lawmakers expressing disbelief that a law codifying the right to use birth control is needed in the U.S. in 2022, House Democrats passed the Right to Contraception Act on Thursday--joined by just eight Republicans as the party denied access to contraception is under attack.
All 220 Democrats voted in favor of the bill.
"One hundred ninety-five House Republicans just voted against protecting your right to access contraception," said Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.).
"Birth control is a basic form of healthcare we ALL deserve to access."
The legislation defines contraception as "any drug, device, or biological product intended for use in the prevention of pregnancy, whether specifically intended to prevent pregnancy or for other health needs, that is legally marketed under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, such as oral contraceptives, long-acting reversible contraceptives, emergency contraceptives, internal and external condoms, injectables, vaginal barrier methods, transdermal patches, and vaginal rings, or other contraceptives."
Rep. Kathy Manning (D-N.C.) introduced the bill weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court's right-wing majority overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the right to abortion care for millions of women and likely reducing access to abortions even in states where the right is still protected.
In an opinion concurring with the ruling, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote that "in future cases, we should reconsider all of the Court's substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell," naming cases that affirmed Americans have the right to contraception, same-sex relationships, and marriage equality.
Thursday's vote showed that opposition to contraceptive rights "is not just an opinion of one man," said Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.). "This is their plan."
\u201cWhen Clarence Thomas said he wanted to take away a woman\u2019s right to birth control, some told me that is just his opinion. But now I saw 195 of my Republican colleagues reject protection for contraceptives. This is not just an opinion of one man. This is their plan.\u201d— Andy Kim (@Andy Kim) 1658418788
"If they had the chance they would ban" contraception, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) added.
Earlier this week, the House passed a bill codifying the right of same-sex couples to marry, with the vast majority of Republicans voting against it.
After the ruling overturning Roe was handed down, a health system in Missouri--where abortion is now banned--temporarily stopped providing emergency contraception, better known as Plan B, saying the state needed to "better define" its abortion ban.
Republicans in Missouri have also tried to stop Medicaid funding from being used for contraception.
GOP legislators on Thursday, however, claimed the right to access contraception is not being threatened, with Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) accusing the Democrats of "spreading fear and misinformation" and calling the bill "a Trojan horse for more abortions."
After the House bill passed, advocates called on the Senate to promptly pass the Right to Contraception Act, which was introduced by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) this week.
\u201cThe House will vote TODAY on the Right to Contraception Act. Then the Senate must pass @SenMarkey\u2019s bill to codify this essential right. We are calling on Congress to get this done now. Tell your representative to vote yes to pass this critical bill. Call 202-224-3121\u201d— NARAL (@NARAL) 1658412545
Republicans in the Senate have also denied people are at risk of losing their right to use contraception, with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) calling the Democrats' efforts "pure hysteria."
"Birth control is a basic form of healthcare we ALL deserve to access," said the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights after the House bill was passed. "Senate must follow."
"What AOC is doing is leadership—and people see that," said one observer.
A poll released Friday from the progressive think tank Data for Progress has Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez besting Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, also a Democrat, by 19 points in a hypothetical matchup in the 2028 New York primary for a U.S. Senate seat.
According to the poll, which was was first shared exclusively with Politico, 55% of voters said they would cast a ballot for Ocasio-Cortez or leaned toward supporting her, and 36% said they would support Schumer or leaned toward supporting him, with 9% undecided.
The only subgroup that supported Schumer over Ocasio-Cortez were moderates, who favored Schumer 50%-35%, with 15% undecided. Ocasio-Cortez carried all other subgroups with an outright majority, except for voters over the age of 45, 49% of whom said they would support her or leaned toward supporting her.
The poll—while several years out from the actual race—comes in the wake of Schumer's decision to throw his support behind a Republican-backed spending bill in early March, a move that roiled his own party and prompted calls for him to step aside from his leadership position in the Senate.
The episode also sparked murmurs among some Democrats that Ocasio-Cortez should consider a primary bid against Schumer in 2028.
The poll was conducted March 26-31 and surveyed 767 likely Democratic primary voters in New York state. According to Data for Progress, the polling indicated that the hypothetical matchup between Ocasio-Cortez and Schumer is "relatively static" and does not shift when voters are offered more information about the respective candidates.
Ocasio-Cortez recently declined to speak about a potential run for Senate in 2028, according to Politico.
"Replacing Chuck Schumer with AOC would be an incredible upgrade. I guess we'll have to wait four more years…," wrote Bhaskar Sunkara, president of The Nation.
Zephyr Teachout, a professor at the Fordham University School of Law, shared Politico's reporting on the poll and wrote: "Good morning to leadership and fighting oligarchy!"
"What I mean is that what AOC is doing is leadership—and people see that," added Teachout, who also highlighted that the poll found that an overwhelming majority of respondents, 84%, want their leaders to do more to resist the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Another observer, market researcher Adam Carlson, highlighted that despite Schumer's loss in the hypothetical race, most respondent subgroups still view him favorably, according to the poll. Besides "very liberal" voters and those between ages 18-44, Schumer stands at over 50% "favorable" among all other subgroups surveyed.
"People just want a changing of the guard," said Carlson.
"Trade and tariff wars have no winners," said China's foreign ministry. "We urge the U.S. to stop doing the wrong thing."
The Chinese government on Friday responded to U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping new tariffs with 34% import duties on all American goods beginning next week, intensifying global blowback against the White House and accelerating a worldwide financial market tailspin.
China's tariffs on U.S. imports, which match the tariffs the Trump administration moved this week to impose on Chinese goods, are set to take effect on April 10. Trump's 34% tariffs on Chinese imports come on top of the 20% tariffs the U.S. president imposed earlier this year.
"The U.S. approach does not conform to international trade rules, seriously damages China's legitimate rights and interests, and is a typical unilateral bullying practice," China's Ministry of Finance said in a Friday statement.
Additionally, China's Commerce Ministry announced immediate export restrictions on rare earth materials and "added 16 entities from the U.S., including High Point Aerotechnologies and Universal Logistics Holdings Inc., to its export control list," according to the state-run China Daily.
"Under the new rule," the outlet reported, "Chinese companies are prohibited from exporting dual-use items to these 16 U.S. entities. Any ongoing related export activities should be immediately halted, said the Ministry of Commerce."
Retaliatory tariffs from the world's second-largest economy mark the latest step in a global trade war launched by the Trump White House, which—despite warnings of disastrous impacts for working-class U.S. households and the broader economy—plowed ahead this week with a 10% universal tariff on imports and larger tariffs on a number of trading partners, including China.
Following Trump's official tariff announcement, Beijing condemned the duties as "unacceptable" and vowed to "take measures as necessary to firmly defend [China's] legitimate interests."
"Trade and tariff wars have no winners. Protectionism leads nowhere," said the spokesperson for China's foreign ministry on Thursday. "We urge the U.S. to stop doing the wrong thing, and resolve trade differences with China and other countries through consultation with equality, respect, and mutual benefit."
Other nations hit by Trump's tariffs are expected to respond in the coming days.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters Thursday that the E.U. was "already finalizing the first package of countermeasures in response to tariffs on steel, and we are now preparing for further countermeasures to protect our interests and our businesses if negotiations fail."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney vowed that "we are going to fight these tariffs with countermeasures."
"In a crisis, it's important to come together and it's essential to act with purpose and with force," Carney added. "And that's what we will do."
"What Republicans are trying to jam through Congress right now is a level of economic recklessness we’ve never seen before," said a group of Democratic lawmakers.
A new analysis indicates Republicans' plan to extend soon-to-expire provisions of their party's 2017 tax law, as well as their push to tack on additional tax breaks largely benefiting the rich and big corporations, would cost $7 trillion over the next decade, a figure that a group of congressional Democrats called "staggering."
The analysis from the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), published on Thursday, updates previous estimates that suggested the GOP effort to extend expiring provisions of the 2017 law would cost $4.6 trillion over a 10-year period. The new assessment shows that extending the law's temporary provisions—which disproportionately favored the wealthy—would cost $5.5 trillion over the next decade.
The projected cost of the GOP agenda balloons to $7 trillion after adding Senate Republicans' call for $1.5 trillion in additional tax cuts in the budget resolution they advanced in a party-line vote on Thursday. The GOP has come under fire for using an accounting trick to claim their proposed tax cuts would have no budgetary impact.
"The Republican handouts to billionaires and corporations will come at a staggering cost, and it's unconscionable that their plan to pay for those handouts includes kicking millions of Americans off their health insurance, hiking the cost of living with tariffs, and driving up child hunger," Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), and Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) said in a joint statement issued in response to the JCT figures.
"Even after making painful cuts that will inflict hardship on typical American families, Republicans will still risk sending us into a catastrophic debt spiral that does permanent harm to our economy," the Democrats added. "What Republicans are trying to jam through Congress right now is a level of economic recklessness we've never seen before."
The JCT's updated cost analysis came as President Donald Trump plowed ahead with what's been characterized as the biggest tax hike in U.S. history, one that will hit working-class Americans in the form of price increases on household staples and other goods.
Trump administration officials, not known for providing reliable numbers, have claimed the president's sweeping new tariffs could produce roughly $6 trillion in federal revenue over the next decade. The Trump tariffs have sent financial markets into a tailspin, heightened recession fears, and prompted swift retaliation from targeted nations, including China.
In an appearance on MSNBC on Thursday, Boyle—the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee—said Trump's tariffs represent "the single largest tax increase in American history."
"It's a tax that everyone will pay in this country, based on the goods that they buy," said Boyle. "However, it's also a tax that is highly regressive—the poorest amongst us will end up paying a higher percentage of their income."
A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the analysis was conducted by the Congressional Budget Office. It was conducted by the Joint Committee on Taxation.