Sen. Bob Casey says he’ll vote for a bill to protect abortion access

WASHINGTON — Sen. Bob Casey will vote to support a monthly bill to assure accessibility to abortion nationwide, he explained Tuesday, taking a significant stage in favor of abortion legal rights inspite of extended describing himself as a “pro-life” Democrat.

Casey, whose namesake father was part of a landmark Supreme Courtroom situation on abortion constraints, announced his stand Tuesday in advance of a Senate vote, expected as before long as Wednesday, that would endeavor to compose into regulation the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade selection legalizing abortion and blocking quite a few bans.

Whilst the vote is particular to fail in the face of opposition from Republicans and probably from West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, it signifies Democrats’ initially formal pushback in opposition to a forthcoming Supreme Court docket choice that appears poised to overturn the pivotal abortion ruling.

Casey, in a assertion, reported he has by no means voted for and would not guidance “a categorical ban on abortion” that could end result from the anticipated ruling.

Casey’s assertion is a notable marker of wherever he stands on the difficulty, supplied his difficult previous on abortion votes. Before this yr, he voted to advance debate on the very same monthly bill, the Women’s Wellness Protection Act, but experienced not said if he supported the underlying proposal.

He clarified that Tuesday.

The approaching vote comes at a fraught second, a week just after a leaked draft of a Supreme Court viewpoint signaled that conservative justices could quickly wipe out the determination shielding abortion, foremost to restrictions and potentially outright bans in lots of states.

» Study Far more: Casey is one particular of the final ‘pro-life’ Democrats. The Supreme Court selection is going to take a look at his views.

Casey cited that chance in describing his vote.

“This 7 days, I will once again vote indeed to advance discussion on the Women’s Overall health Protection Act and I will help the monthly bill if there is a vote on remaining passage in the long run,” he said in a statement.

“In the virtually 3 months because the Senate very last voted on the Women’s Overall health Defense Act, the instances around the full debate on abortion have adjusted,” he added. “In light-weight of the leaked Supreme Court docket selection draft overturning Roe v. Wade, and subsequent reviews that Republicans in the U.S. Property and Senate will introduce legislation to enact a nationwide six-week ban, the authentic query of the minute is: Do you support a categorical ban on abortion? All through my time in general public workplace, I have hardly ever voted for — nor do I assistance — this kind of a ban.”

His stand was straight away praised by liberals and is positive to attract scorn from antiabortion groups, which have long accused Casey of failing to stay up to his professed beliefs.

Casey has been seen as a fairly reasonable Democrat, in component because of the legacy of his father, previous Gov. Bob Casey. He has shifted leftward on several difficulties around the very last decade but carries on to contact himself “pro-life.” That stand came below extreme scrutiny soon after the leak final week revealed the path the Supreme Court appears poised to acquire.

» Read Additional: Bob Casey wants Biden and Democrats to swing for the fences: ‘Go significant or go home’

When Senate Democrats rallied on the Capitol steps immediately after the leak, Casey was one of the handful of who did not show up at.

He has walked a high-quality line on abortion, at instances voting in favor of constraints, this kind of as a proposed ban just after 20 weeks in 2018 but also supporting funding for Planned Parenthood and other ways that, he argues, offer critical health care and arranging that can cut down the require for abortions.

He has earlier opposed extra drastic measures, like a near-total ban handed in Alabama in 2019, and has acquired largely positive marks from Prepared Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Alternative America, the latter of which gave him a 72% ranking in 2020.

Casey’s father signed the abortion limits that have been upheld in the landmark Planned Parenthood v. Casey Supreme Court docket final decision in 1992, incorporating to the private fat around the concern.