United States: Republicans in the House of Representatives attack abortion

Demonstration in defense of the right to abortion, May 3, 2022 in front of the Supreme Court in Washington.

© AP/Ted S. Warren

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Among the first texts voted by the new Republican majority in the House of Representatives, there is a text relating to abortion.

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With our correspondent in Washington,

It is a bill which will obviously not be taken up by the Senate with a Democratic majority and which will therefore not come into force in the near future.

But it doesn't matter to House Republicans.

For them, what counts is the political message addressed to their constituents, to show them that they are doing what they were elected to do.

The text voted by the Chamber criminalizes and creates sanctions in the event that a child born despite a prior attempt at abortion does not receive the care necessary for its survival.

This type of case exists, but it is extremely rare and in any case, it is obviously forbidden to kill babies in the United States.

But once again it was an opportunity for discussions that reflect the polarization of American society on this issue, which has become central again since the end of the constitutional right to voluntary termination of pregnancy decided by the Supreme Court at the end of last June. .

During the debates preceding this symbolic vote, the leader of the Democratic minority Hakeem Jeffries was able to recall that his party remains in favor of the right of women to dispose of their bodies, when the Republicans insisted on the sanctity of life.

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• United States

• Womens rights

• Health and medicine