US Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and 20 other Senators have jointly criticized a renewed push in the US Senate by Democrats to revive the ‘Right to Contraception’ Act, and now have blocked when the voted it down during a procedural vote by final count of 51 to 39.
The Right to Contraception Act was first passed by the US House of Representatives in 2022 and subsequently died in the Senate.
The bill would have forced all healthcare providers to provide contraceptives upon request or face potential lawsuits by consumers.
Republicans allege forcing healthcare providers to offer contraceptives violates the religious freedoms and parental rights of millions of Americans.
In a statement, Republican Senators said the bill was “just another way for Democrats to use activist attorneys and our courts to advance their radical agenda and that is why we oppose this bill.”
“This bill infringes on the parental rights and religious liberties of some Americans and lets the federal government force religious institutions and schools, even public elementary schools, to offer contraception like condoms to little kids,” continued the Senators.
Contraceptives have been a de facto right in the US since it has become legal in every state and insurers are required by Federal law to provide it at no cost by health insurers.
However, as the general elections draw near, Democrats are seeking to leverage reproductive health issues in order to chip away at Republican support.
Republicans have also fought back against measures such as President Joe Biden’s controversial deregulation of mifepristone and misoprostol.
Mifepristone and Misoprostol are used to abort children before 11 weeks gestation by cutting off food supplies to the child and subsequently stimulating contractions and bleeding.
The remains of the unborn child are then disposed of by the user of the drugs.
Shortly before the vote, Senator Marco Rubio told The Floridian the issue was "fake."
"It’s a fake issue. There is no threat to contraception," said Sen. Rubio.
