US House passes bill to protect nationwide access to contraception

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US House of Representatives voted Thursday to approve nationwide protections for contraception access after the Supreme Court overturned abortion rights.

The 228-195 vote was largely along party lines with Democrats widely lending their support to the Right to Contraction Act. Just eight Republicans lent their support while two others voted "present."

The act would enshrine in federal law the right for individuals to use contraception amid concerns from liberals that the conservative-majority Supreme Court could act to further curtail rights long held by Americans after removing nationwide abortion protections that stood for nearly 50 years.

"This is a big day for women across America. We just voted to protect the right to contraceptives. We heard what Justice Clarence Thomas had to say in the Dobbs decision. We know that taking away the constitutional right to contraceptives is on his to-do list," Kathy Manning, the Democratic lawmaker from North Carolina who sponsored the bill, said in a video message.

Thomas issued a concurring opinion to the ruling that stripped abortion rights access, saying the top court “should reconsider" three cases that have enshrined the rights to contraception, and same-sex marriage and consensual sexual relations.

Republican lawmaker Cathy McMorris accused Democrats of attempting to "spread fear and misinformation to score political points, and they're doing it with a very poorly-drafted bill."