One year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ended abortion rights for millions, turning the issue back to the states. Republican states responded with a vengeance, with 18 states enacting bans and trying to come up with ways to prevent their citizens from going to the blue states, where abortion rights have been made stronger. That’s the status quo heading into the 2024 election: Democrats fighting to protect abortion rights, Republicans fighting amongst themselves over how restrictive they should be.
That will play out in the Senate this week, where Democrats will force votes on four “common sense” reproductive health bills that would guarantee access to contraception, allow free travel across state lines for women seeking abortion, protect the online privacy of people seeking abortions, and increase protections for health professionals providing abortion care. None of these are radical proposals, which should put some pressure on some Republicans who should have a problem with the idea that women shouldn’t be allowed to travel. But they are Republicans, and they will not allow these bills to get final votes on the floor.