In a vote designed to draw a clear contrast with Republicans ahead of a potential Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade looming just months before the midterm elections.
The vote was 49 in favor to 51 against, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance the Women’s Health Protection Act.
Democrats held the vote despite knowing it was certain to fail in the 50-50 Senate, where abortion stances split almost entirely along party lines.
No Republicans supported the measure, and centrist Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) had broken with his party and opposed the bill.
But Democratic Party leaders saw the vote as a crucial political step with the prospect of the end of federal abortion protections now looming and the matter being turned over to states.
“I’m scared and I’m frightened for women in this country more than I ever have been before,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D., Wash.) shortly before the vote. If some states ban abortions, voters “live with the painful consequences of that decision and they will not forget Republicans are the ones responsible.”
Republicans said that if Roe falls, states should be in charge of making decisions that affect their own residents.
“I hope what the Supreme Court does is sends this issue back to the people to debate it and weigh in and to make their decisions through their multiple elected representatives,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R., La.).
Dozens of House Democrats marched to the Senate chamber chanting “my body, my decision.” The Capitol complex was surrounded with makeshift fencing composed of bike racks, and the chants of protesters at the nearby Supreme Court could be heard on the grounds.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who presided over the vote, said the result “clearly suggests the Senate is not where the majority of Americans are on this issue.” She said it makes clear that a priority for the party should be to elect pro-abortion-rights candidates at the local, state and federal levels.
A day earlier, Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.), a self-described pro-life Democrat, said he would back his party’s measure to affirm the right to terminate a pregnancy before fetal viability. That marked a shift in his position and left Mr. Manchin as the only Democrat to oppose the bill. Mr. Manchin said Wednesday that he would support codifying Roe in law but the party’s proposal goes too far.
Political | Process 
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