Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Advancing The Reproductive Freedom For Women Act And Republicans Voting Again And Again Against Legislation To Protect Reproductive Rights

Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act and on Senate Republicans’ recent votes against legislation to protect access to contraception and IVF. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

A few moments ago, I took the first procedural step to place on the legislative calendar the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, sponsored by Senator Murray and myself, and cosponsored by all the women senators on our side. This measure affirms a woman’s fundamental right to choose, and calls for enshrining the protections of Roe v. Wade into law, as most Americans say they want.

I thank Senator Murray and all my colleagues who cosponsored the Reproductive Freedom for Women Act, and I will work to bring it to the floor.

We’re only halfway through June, and it has already been a dismal month for MAGA Republicans and their attacks on reproductive freedoms.

In the last two weeks, Senate Republicans have shown that for all their attempts to sound moderate on reproductive freedoms, when it comes time to vote, they are falling in line with MAGA extremism.

This month, Senate Republicans have already blocked legislation protecting commonsense reproductive care like contraception and IVF.

House Republicans, meanwhile, voted overwhelmingly on Friday to pass the defense funding bill with hard-right poison pills restricting access to reproductive care for our service members.

And Donald Trump, while speaking to Republicans on Capitol Hill last week, once again attacked the decision of Roe and said abortion should be left to the states, even if states pass terrible restrictions on women’s freedoms, as is happening all over the country.

Republicans cannot escape a simple reality: their record on women’s health care is dangerously out of step with the views of most Americans. Poll after poll affirms that a majority of Americans disapproved of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe.

So, I’ll say it again: so many Senate Republicans and so many House Republicans will try to talk like moderates on reproductive freedoms, but their own record is irrefutably against them. And when it comes time to vote, they vote against women and reproductive freedoms, over and over and over again. And the American people know that when it comes to protecting their fundamental freedoms, actions speak louder than words.

Republicans can’t claim to be pro-contraception but then block federal protections for contraception. But that’s just what they did a few weeks ago.

Republicans also can’t claim to be pro-family, but then block federal protections for IVF. But once again, that’s just what they did a few days ago.

And remember: Donald Trump, to this day, continues to brag about his role in eliminating Roe, aided by Republicans in this chamber who voted to confirm not one, not two, but three hard-right Supreme Court Justices with the goal of overturning Roe.

Make no mistake: the MAGA extremists aren’t done. If they get the chance, they will push for their ultimate goal of a national abortion ban.

Many Republicans say a national abortion ban is plain old fear mongering, but remember: these same Republicans weren’t even able to stand up to the MAGA right long enough to support a simple IVF bill. Do we really trust them to resist the MAGA right when it pushes a national abortion ban? Of course not.

With November fast approaching, Republicans continue to show the American people where they really are: with MAGA extremists, and not with the majority of America. That's what Republican senators and House members are doing.

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