Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Tuesday promised a vote to codify Roe v. Wade after a Supreme Court leak revealed the 1973 ruling may be overturned.
“A vote on this legislation is not an abstract exercise,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “This is as urgent and real as it gets. We will vote to protect a woman’s right to choose, and every American is going to see which side every senator stands.”
Schumer not only promised a vote to codify Roe v. Wade but initiated a political tactic to force all senators to vote on the measure.
With Republicans having the momentum heading into the midterms because of President Biden’s 40-year-high inflation and southern border invasion, among other crises, Democrats perceive the court’s pending decision as a cudgel against conservatives.
The vote will be used by Democrats in many Senate midterm races throughout the country to persuade the electorate to vote blue. As of now, Democrats are projected to lose the Senate to Republicans on a slim margin.
Before the leak, Senate polling showed voters heavily favoring Republicans by nine points on a generic ballot (48-39 percent). The generic ballot is important because it indicates congressional Republicans have a national advantage over Democrats regardless of the candidate. Republicans in specific Senate races are leading in Arizona, New Hampshire, Georgia, and Nevada.
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter and Gettr @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.