Jayapal: GOP’s Constituents Not Going to Accept Anti-Contraception Position

Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) predicted Thursday on CNN’s “Newsroom” that Republican lawmakers’ constituents would not accept anti-contraception positions and votes.

Anchor Alisyn Camerota said, “Today, the House turned their attention to contraception. They passed legislation to protect access to birth control. Democrats unanimously voted in favor of this. Only eight House Republicans did.”

Jayapal said, “Today, what we saw is 197 Republicans voting against codifying contraception, birth control. The way that people plan their families across the country. So, yes, I think this is a serious emergency. It is why it is so essential that we codify these precedents into law before this extreme radical Republican Party takes over or allows The Supreme Court to take away these settled rights.”

Camerota said, “Do you think this legislation that just passed the House, is it going to pass in the Senate?”

Jayapal said, “I don’t know. As you know, we have the filibuster in the Senate. I’ve been on your show many times to talk about how wrong it is that 40 senators who represent a minority of the population can hold up a bill from even being debated, much less voted upon. So we do have that problem with only 50 Democrats in the Senate. We need a couple more pro-choice, pro-contraception that will overturn the filibuster so we can codify this into law. I do think there are some Republican women in the Senate who, I hope, understand that their constituents are not going to accept this idea that the Republican Party has become a party that doesn’t support contraception. Maybe we can get some traction over there.”

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