Today, as the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the dangerous and harmful Texas abortion ban, Fix Our Senate, a coalition representing 85 organizations representing tens of millions of members across the country, highlighted the urgent need for Senate Democrats to eliminate the filibuster as an obstacle to abortion access across the country. Earlier this month, Fix Our Senate kicked off a television, print and digital ads campaign running in national, Washington D.C. and Arizona media markets.
The full ad, titled “51 vs. 60,” is viewable here.
UltraViolet and a coalition of abortion rights, voting rights, public health, legal and religious advocacy organizations also recently ran a full-page ad demanding action to protect voting and abortion rights in face of hundreds of restrictions and bans. The ad urges members of Congress to protect the constitutional rights to vote and access abortion by “every means necessary.”
These ads come after the House of Representatives passed the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would protect the right to access abortion. The bill is now in the Senate, where the filibuster continues to be a roadblock.
Desireé Luckey, Director of Policy, and Monica Edwards, Federal Policy Manager, at URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity and Coalition Member of Fix Our Senate stated:
"We are organizing day in and day out to put a permanent stop to the unconstitutional bans that states like Texas are placing on our bodies. Unfortunately, the right to have an abortion will remain in peril as long as the filibuster remains intact — our broken democratic structures are blocking progress at every turn.
"Senator McConnell only needed fifty-one votes to pack the Supreme Court with three ultra-conservative justices -- it’s clear that we should only need fifty-one votes to protect our right to abortion access and make choices for our bodies. Senate Democrats, who say they support reproductive rights but remain silent on or against the filibuster, are supporting reproductive rights in name only.
"We deserve federal legislation to protect abortion access, and that requires a path forward, free from the filibuster.”
Sonja Spoo, director of reproductive rights campaigns at UltraViolet and Coalition Member of Fix Our Senate stated:
“Right now, anti-abortion extremist lawmakers and judges are on the verge of overturning Roe v. Wade and effectively ending access to abortion throughout the nation. We cannot protect abortion access or voting rights without federal intervention and passing bills like the Women’s Health Protection Act.
"Federal legislation is critical to protecting the lives and basic rights of women and women of color, who are the primary targets of attacks on our voting right and abortion rights. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that members of Congress hear our demands and urge Senate leadership to use every tool at their disposal, including ending the filibuster, to protect the constitutional right to vote and have an abortion.”
The ad script for “51 vs. 60” is below:
“Fifty-one. That’s how many votes it took for Mitch McConnell to pack the Supreme Court with three more far-right justices -- who let the nation's most restrictive abortion ban take effect.
“Gutting access for millions, and endangering our health care. But to protect it, the rules are different.
“Only fifty-one votes to imperil abortion access. A sixty-vote hurdle to protect it.
“As long as the Senate rules are rigged, abortion access is vulnerable.
“Our health care should matter more.”