Full List of Republicans Who Voted Against Contraception Access
Aila Slisco
06/06/2024
Senate Republicans have voted to block a bill that would have guaranteed access to contraceptives nationwide.
The Right to Contraception Act on Wednesday was stopped dead in its tracks following the failure to get the required 60 votes to pass a complete Senate approval and all opposition to the bill emanating from Republicans.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer–who changed his “yes” vote to a “no” in a last-second procedure that allowed for the legislation to be considered over again, said in an announcement the “Senate Republicans showed us who they are today.”
The total number of senators voted for the bill, all who included Democrats as well as independents With the exception of moderate Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.
Here is a list of the 38 Republican senators who opposed the bill:
- John Barrasso of Wyoming
- Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee
- John Boozman of Arkansas
- Ted Budd of North Carolina
- Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
- Bill Cassidy of Louisiana
- John Cornyn of Texas
- Tom Cotton of Arkansas
- Kevin Cramer of North Dakota
- Mike Crapo of Idaho
- Ted Cruz of Texas
- Steve Daines of Montana
- Joni Ernst of Iowa
- Deb Fischer of Nebraska
- Chuck Grassley of Iowa
- Josh Hawley of Missouri
- John Hoeven of North Dakota
- Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi
- Ron Johnson of Wisconsin
- James Lankford of Oklahoma
- Mike Lee of Utah
- Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming
- Roger Marshall of Kansas
- Mitch McConnell of Kentucky
- Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma
- Rand Paul of Kentucky
- Pete Ricketts of Nebraska
- James Risch of Idaho
- Mike Rounds of South Dakota
- Marco Rubio of Florida
- Eric Schmitt of Missouri
- Rick Scott of Florida
- Tim Scott of South Carolina
- John Thune of South Dakota
- Thom Tillis of North Carolina
- Tommy Tuberville of Alabama
- Roger Wicker of Mississippi
- Todd Young of Indiana
Nine more Republicans were in the same boat as Democratic senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey in avoiding the vote: Mike Braun of Indiana and Katie Britt of Alabama, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Mitt Romney of Utah, Dan Sullivan of Alaska and J.D. Vance of Ohio.
Republicans claimed that the legislation was a ploy to get Democrats that was tied to their support for abortion rights prior to the November elections and with a number of GOP senators saying this vote as a “show vote.”
Schumer challenged that assertion in his statement, stating”it is “not a show vote” but that it had demonstrated how Republicans have shown that they are “not willing to stand up and protect access to contraception, something 90% of Americans support.”
Newsweek asked for comments via email to Republican National Committee via email on Wednesday evening.
Cornyn one from those who cast “no” votes, argued that the bill was “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” The Texas Republican stated in the declaration that the bill amounted in “fearmongering,” while also asserting that the bill would ensure access to abortion-inducing drugs.
“Contraception is available in every state in America, and there’s no legitimate effort to change that,” Cornyn declared. “Democrats are using their powers as the majority party to engage in fearmongering to further their own political agenda.”
“The bill before the Senate goes far beyond protecting access to contraception,” the senator added. “It would force healthcare providers to provide abortion drugs, regardless of any religious objections … This bill is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
The known as “morning-after pill” can reduce the chance of having a baby and is often referred to as “emergency contraception,” there is no provision in the legislation which guarantees the availability of abortion-inducing drugs.
