Susan Collins: Alternative to House Democrats’ ‘Contraception’ Bill

House Democrats passed a “contraception” bill on Thursday that all but a handful of House Republicans opposed because it would override the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), would prohibit laws and regulations defunding Planned Parenthood, and could create a federal right to the abortion drug used during the first ten weeks of pregnancy.

But in the Senate, Susan Collins, the Maine Republican, is working on an alternative bill that would codify into federal law the right to contraception first established by the Supreme Court in 1965. “Senator Collins supports federal protections for contraception access, and she’s working on a bill with Senators Kaine, Murkowski, and Sinema that would codify the right to use contraception first recognized by the Supreme Court in Griswold, while also maintaining protections for religious liberties,” Collins communications director Annie Clark told National Review in an email.

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John McCormack

John McCormack is a former Washington correspondent for National Review and was a fellow at the National Review Institute.

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House Democrats passed a “contraception” bill on Thursday that all but a handful of House Republicans opposed because it would override the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), would prohibit laws and regulations defunding Planned Parenthood, and could create a federal right to the abortion drug used during the first ten weeks of pregnancy.

But in the Senate, Susan Collins, the Maine Republican, is working on an alternative bill that would codify into federal law the right to contraception first established by the Supreme Court in 1965. “Senator Collins supports federal protections for contraception access, and she’s working on a bill with Senators Kaine, Murkowski, and Sinema that would codify the right to use contraception first recognized by the Supreme Court in Griswold, while also maintaining protections for religious liberties,” Collins communications director Annie Clark told National Review in an email.