Pro-abortion Democrats have been talking a big talk about how they want to codify the Roe v. Wade decision. President Joe Biden even made it a focus of his campaign before he got elected, and it's only ramped up from there, especially when a leak revealed in early May that the U.S. Supreme Court was looking to overturn Roe with its Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which it ultimately did in late June. This has also been a rallying cry for Democratic candidates, among then John Fetterman, who is running to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA).
Thrusting such a priority into the news cycle is that Fetterman, who experienced a stroke shortly before winning the Democratic primary in May, on Wednesday night claimed to want to "of course" be "codifying Roe v. Roe."
John Fetterman says he supports “codifying Roe v. Roe” pic.twitter.com/y7AqrZcxVI
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 3, 2022
At a pro-abortion event on the 21st anniversary of September 11, 2001, Fetterman also similarly promoted abortion with a gaffe. "Abortion is the ballot now in November," he told the crowd.
Such gaffes are not the only way in which Fetterman has erred on the issue, though. The legislation that Fetterman and other pro-abortion Democrats are promoting, is the Women's Health Protection Act (WHPA). In reality, the WHPA would actually expand the Roe v. Wade decision. Not only does the legislation entail unlimited abortions for any reason without legal limit up until birth, but it makes use of taxpayer funds to pay for elective abortions and would invalidate pro-life laws passed at the state level.
So desperate are pro-abortion Democrats to pass such legislation that they have called to nuke the filibuster in order to get it passed. Fetterman has long been among them.
We can't wait. We need Democrats to vote like Democrats, scrap the filibuster, and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act.
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) June 25, 2022
Democrats need to scrap the filibuster and immediately protect the right to an abortion. The stakes are too high + we have already waited too long.
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) June 30, 2022
Send me to D.C. and I will proudly cast that 51st vote to eliminate the filibuster + codify the right to an abortion into law. 💯
In the present session of Congress, the WHPA passed the House but couldn't even get a majority in the Senate, let alone pass the 60-vote threshold. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has voted against the bill, as have Sens. Lisa Murlowski (R-AK) and Susan Collins (R-ME), who support codifying Roe, but acknowledge that this legislation goes far beyond that.
While Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) has voted in favor of the legislation, she does not support nuking the filibuster to get it, or other bills, passed.
Biden and other pro-abortion Democrats have thus emphasized a need to elect 52 senators who would vote to nuke the filibuster and pass such legislation.
Current predictions favor Republicans to win control not only of the House, but the Senate as well now, despite it once being considered something of a toss up or even looking to favor Democrats.
This includes Fetterman's Republican opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz. A series of polls since last week's debate between the opponents have shown Oz leading. RealClearPolitics (RCP) now has Oz with a lead of +0.3, and regards the race as a "Toss Up," projecting a "GOP hold." Decision Desk HQ, which also considers the race to be a "Toss Up," has shown Oz with a greater percentage of winning over Fetterman as well.