Yesterday, Senate Republicans blocked the passage of Democrat Senator Ed Markey’s bill, the “Right to Contraception Act,” arguing that it posed threats to conscience protections, potentially funded abortion drugs, and indirectly supported invasive procedures on minors in the name of transgender rights. The bill, which Democratic leaders alleged aimed to guarantee the right to contraception already ensured under the Griswald ruling, was seen by Republicans as a deceptive attempt to funnel taxpayer money to Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading abortion provider. The bill was denied the necessary 60 votes, failing on a cloture vote of 51-39.
Senator Ted Cruz, among other vocal critics of the bill, labeled it as a diversionary tactic used by the Democrats to sidetrack from their radical stance on abortion. Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, echoed this sentiment in her statement, accusing Democrats of deceptively creating a bill that prioritizes the interests of the abortion lobby over women’s health.
Moreover, critics such as Terry Schilling, a leading pro-life Catholic figure, cautioned that the bill might be a veiled attempt to encourage and fund sex change procedures in minors, calling it a “Trojan horse.” He pointed out the growing business aspects of the transgender industry, which reportedly rakes in $4.1 billion a year from hormone procedures and surgeries.
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